The Message

<div class="version vid97 iso6393eng" data-vid="97" data-iso6393="eng">
    <div class="book bkJOB">
        <div class="chapter ch35" data-usfm="JOB.35">
            <div class="label">35</div><div class="ms1"><span class="heading">Elihu&#8217;s Third Speech</span></div><div class="s2"><span class="heading">When God Makes Creation a Classroom</span></div><div class="m"><span class="content">  </span><span class="verse v1 v2 v3" data-usfm="JOB.35.1+JOB.35.2+JOB.35.3"><span class="label">1-3</span><span class="content">Elihu lit into Job again:</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v1 v2 v3" data-usfm="JOB.35.1+JOB.35.2+JOB.35.3"><span class="content">&#8220;Does this kind of thing make any sense?</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v1 v2 v3" data-usfm="JOB.35.1+JOB.35.2+JOB.35.3"><span class="content">First you say, &#8216;I&#8217;m perfectly innocent before God.&#8217;</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v1 v2 v3" data-usfm="JOB.35.1+JOB.35.2+JOB.35.3"><span class="content">And then you say, &#8216;It doesn&#8217;t make a bit of difference</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v1 v2 v3" data-usfm="JOB.35.1+JOB.35.2+JOB.35.3"><span class="content">whether I&#8217;ve sinned or not.&#8217;</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v1 v2 v3" data-usfm="JOB.35.1+JOB.35.2+JOB.35.3"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7 v8" data-usfm="JOB.35.4+JOB.35.5+JOB.35.6+JOB.35.7+JOB.35.8"><span class="label">4-8</span><span class="content">&#8220;Well, I&#8217;m going to show you</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7 v8" data-usfm="JOB.35.4+JOB.35.5+JOB.35.6+JOB.35.7+JOB.35.8"><span class="content">that you don&#8217;t know what you&#8217;re talking about,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7 v8" data-usfm="JOB.35.4+JOB.35.5+JOB.35.6+JOB.35.7+JOB.35.8"><span class="content">neither you nor your friends.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7 v8" data-usfm="JOB.35.4+JOB.35.5+JOB.35.6+JOB.35.7+JOB.35.8"><span class="content">Look up at the sky. Take a long hard look.</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7 v8" data-usfm="JOB.35.4+JOB.35.5+JOB.35.6+JOB.35.7+JOB.35.8"><span class="content">See those clouds towering above you?</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7 v8" data-usfm="JOB.35.4+JOB.35.5+JOB.35.6+JOB.35.7+JOB.35.8"><span class="content">If you sin, what difference could that make to God?</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7 v8" data-usfm="JOB.35.4+JOB.35.5+JOB.35.6+JOB.35.7+JOB.35.8"><span class="content">No matter how much you sin, will it matter to him?</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7 v8" data-usfm="JOB.35.4+JOB.35.5+JOB.35.6+JOB.35.7+JOB.35.8"><span class="content">Even if you&#8217;re good, what would God get out of that?</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7 v8" data-usfm="JOB.35.4+JOB.35.5+JOB.35.6+JOB.35.7+JOB.35.8"><span class="content">Do you think he&#8217;s dependent on your accomplishments?</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7 v8" data-usfm="JOB.35.4+JOB.35.5+JOB.35.6+JOB.35.7+JOB.35.8"><span class="content">The only ones who care whether you&#8217;re good or bad</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7 v8" data-usfm="JOB.35.4+JOB.35.5+JOB.35.6+JOB.35.7+JOB.35.8"><span class="content">are your family and friends and neighbors.</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7 v8" data-usfm="JOB.35.4+JOB.35.5+JOB.35.6+JOB.35.7+JOB.35.8"><span class="content">God&#8217;s not dependent on your behavior.</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v4 v5 v6 v7 v8" data-usfm="JOB.35.4+JOB.35.5+JOB.35.6+JOB.35.7+JOB.35.8"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v9 v10 v11 v12 v13 v14 v15" data-usfm="JOB.35.9+JOB.35.10+JOB.35.11+JOB.35.12+JOB.35.13+JOB.35.14+JOB.35.15"><span class="label">9-15</span><span class="content">&#8220;When times get bad, people cry out for help.</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v9 v10 v11 v12 v13 v14 v15" data-usfm="JOB.35.9+JOB.35.10+JOB.35.11+JOB.35.12+JOB.35.13+JOB.35.14+JOB.35.15"><span class="content">They cry for relief from being kicked around,</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v9 v10 v11 v12 v13 v14 v15" data-usfm="JOB.35.9+JOB.35.10+JOB.35.11+JOB.35.12+JOB.35.13+JOB.35.14+JOB.35.15"><span class="content">But never give God a thought when things go well,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v9 v10 v11 v12 v13 v14 v15" data-usfm="JOB.35.9+JOB.35.10+JOB.35.11+JOB.35.12+JOB.35.13+JOB.35.14+JOB.35.15"><span class="content">when God puts spontaneous songs in their hearts,</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v9 v10 v11 v12 v13 v14 v15" data-usfm="JOB.35.9+JOB.35.10+JOB.35.11+JOB.35.12+JOB.35.13+JOB.35.14+JOB.35.15"><span class="content">When God sets out the entire creation as a science classroom,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v9 v10 v11 v12 v13 v14 v15" data-usfm="JOB.35.9+JOB.35.10+JOB.35.11+JOB.35.12+JOB.35.13+JOB.35.14+JOB.35.15"><span class="content">using birds and beasts to teach wisdom.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v9 v10 v11 v12 v13 v14 v15" data-usfm="JOB.35.9+JOB.35.10+JOB.35.11+JOB.35.12+JOB.35.13+JOB.35.14+JOB.35.15"><span class="content">People are arrogantly indifferent to God&#8212;</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v9 v10 v11 v12 v13 v14 v15" data-usfm="JOB.35.9+JOB.35.10+JOB.35.11+JOB.35.12+JOB.35.13+JOB.35.14+JOB.35.15"><span class="content">until, of course, they&#8217;re in trouble,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v9 v10 v11 v12 v13 v14 v15" data-usfm="JOB.35.9+JOB.35.10+JOB.35.11+JOB.35.12+JOB.35.13+JOB.35.14+JOB.35.15"><span class="content">and then God is indifferent to them.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v9 v10 v11 v12 v13 v14 v15" data-usfm="JOB.35.9+JOB.35.10+JOB.35.11+JOB.35.12+JOB.35.13+JOB.35.14+JOB.35.15"><span class="content">There&#8217;s nothing behind such prayers except panic;</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v9 v10 v11 v12 v13 v14 v15" data-usfm="JOB.35.9+JOB.35.10+JOB.35.11+JOB.35.12+JOB.35.13+JOB.35.14+JOB.35.15"><span class="content">the Almighty pays them no mind.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v9 v10 v11 v12 v13 v14 v15" data-usfm="JOB.35.9+JOB.35.10+JOB.35.11+JOB.35.12+JOB.35.13+JOB.35.14+JOB.35.15"><span class="content">So why would he notice you</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v9 v10 v11 v12 v13 v14 v15" data-usfm="JOB.35.9+JOB.35.10+JOB.35.11+JOB.35.12+JOB.35.13+JOB.35.14+JOB.35.15"><span class="content">just because you say you&#8217;re tired of waiting to be heard,</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v9 v10 v11 v12 v13 v14 v15" data-usfm="JOB.35.9+JOB.35.10+JOB.35.11+JOB.35.12+JOB.35.13+JOB.35.14+JOB.35.15"><span class="content">Or waiting for him to get good and angry</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v9 v10 v11 v12 v13 v14 v15" data-usfm="JOB.35.9+JOB.35.10+JOB.35.11+JOB.35.12+JOB.35.13+JOB.35.14+JOB.35.15"><span class="content">and do something about the world&#8217;s problems?</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v9 v10 v11 v12 v13 v14 v15" data-usfm="JOB.35.9+JOB.35.10+JOB.35.11+JOB.35.12+JOB.35.13+JOB.35.14+JOB.35.15"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v16" data-usfm="JOB.35.16"><span class="label">16</span><span class="content">&#8220;Job, you talk sheer nonsense&#8212;</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v16" data-usfm="JOB.35.16"><span class="content">nonstop nonsense!&#8221;</span></span></div>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>

Elihu lit into Job again:

“Does this kind of thing make any sense?
First you say, ‘I’m perfectly innocent before God.’
And then you say, ‘It doesn’t make a bit of difference
whether I’ve sinned or not.’

“Well, I’m going to show you
that you don’t know what you’re talking about,
neither you nor your friends.
Look up at the sky. Take a long hard look.
See those clouds towering above you?
If you sin, what difference could that make to God?
No matter how much you sin, will it matter to him?
Even if you’re good, what would God get out of that?
Do you think he’s dependent on your accomplishments?
The only ones who care whether you’re good or bad
are your family and friends and neighbors.
God’s not dependent on your behavior.

“When times get bad, people cry out for help.
They cry for relief from being kicked around,
But never give God a thought when things go well,
when God puts spontaneous songs in their hearts,
When God sets out the entire creation as a science classroom,
using birds and beasts to teach wisdom.
People are arrogantly indifferent to God—
until, of course, they’re in trouble,
and then God is indifferent to them.
There’s nothing behind such prayers except panic;
the Almighty pays them no mind.
So why would he notice you
just because you say you’re tired of waiting to be heard,
Or waiting for him to get good and angry
and do something about the world’s problems?

“Job, you talk sheer nonsense—
nonstop nonsense!”

Listen to Job 35