Job 35

¹ Moreover Elihu answered and said, Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?

² For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?

³ I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

⁴ Look unto the heavens, and see: and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

⁵ If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

⁶ If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thy hand?

⁷ Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art: and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

⁸ By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out: they cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty.

⁹ Yet none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;

¹⁰ Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

¹¹ There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

¹² Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

¹³ Although thou sayest thou seest him not, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.

¹⁴ For God speaketh once, yea twice, though man perceive it not.

¹⁵ In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;

¹⁶ Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,

¹⁷ That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

¹⁸ He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.

¹⁹ He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain;

²⁰ So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.

²¹ His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.

²² Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.

²³ If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:

²⁴ Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.

²⁵ His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s: he shall return to the days of his youth:

²⁶ He shall pray unto God, and he will be favorable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.

²⁷ He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;

²⁸ He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.

²⁹ Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man,

³⁰ To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.