Job 35:4-8

35:4 I ¹  will reply to you, ² 

and to your friends with you.

35:5 Gaze at the heavens and see;

consider the clouds, which are higher than you! ³ 

35:6 If you sin, how does it affect God? ⁴ 

If your transgressions are many,

what does it do to him? ⁵ 

35:7 If you are righteous, what do you give to God,

or what does he receive from your hand?

35:8 Your wickedness affects only ⁶  a person like yourself,

and your righteousness only other people. ⁷ 

[35:4]  ¹ tn The emphatic pronoun calls attention to Elihu who will answer these questions.

[35:4]  ² tn The Hebrew text adds, “with words,” but since this is obvious, for stylistic reasons it has not been included in the translation.

[35:5]  ³ tn The preposition is taken here as a comparative min (מִן). The line could also read “that are high above you.” This idea has appeared in the speech of Eliphaz (22:12), Zophar (11:7ff.), and even Job (9:8ff.).

[35:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “him” (also in v. 7); the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[35:6]  ⁵ tn See Job 7:20.

[35:8]  ⁶ tn The phrase “affects only” is supplied in the translation of this nominal sentence.

[35:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “and to [or for] a son of man, your righteousness.”