Job 35

Elihu spake moreover, and said,

Elihu continued speaking, expressing,

Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?

Do you really believe it's fair to claim that your goodness surpasses God's?

For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

You asked, "What's in it for me?" and "What do I gain if I'm free from my sin?"

I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

I will respond to you and your friends with heartfelt sincerity.

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

Gaze up at the sky, feel its vastness; observe the clouds, they're far beyond your reach.

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

If you sin, how does it harm God? Even if your wrongdoings increase, how does it affect Him?

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

If you are virtuous, what can you truly offer God? What can He gain from your deeds?

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

Your evil actions can harm others just like you, while your goodness can benefit all of humanity.

By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.

Due to countless injustices, the oppressed weep. Their cries echo, driven by the force of the powerful.

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

Yet no one asks, "Where is my Creator, the one who fills my nights with melodies?"

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

Who guides us to understand more than the animals, and to be wiser than the birds in the sky?

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

In their distress, they call out, but no one responds, silenced by the arrogance of wicked men.

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

Without a doubt, God won't listen to empty words, nor will the All-Powerful pay attention to them.

Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.

Even if you claim you can't see Him, remember that He is always present, judging our actions. So, have faith in Him.

But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity:

And now, because you haven't trusted Him, He has punished you in His anger, though He hasn't yet taken full account of your folly.

Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

Job speaks without thinking, his words are many but lack wisdom.