Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, July 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible
Easy-to-Read Version
Job 34:16
"If you men are wise, you will listen to what I say.
Jump to:Bible Study Tools • Parallel Bible Verse • Bible Contextual Overview • Gill's Bible Notes • Barnes' Bible Notes
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- HolmanParallel Translations
Christian Standard Bible®
If you have understanding, hear this;listen to what I have to say.
If you have understanding, hear this;listen to what I have to say.
Hebrew Names Version
"If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words.
"If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words.
King James Version
If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
English Standard Version
"If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say.
"If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say.
New Century Version
"If you can understand, hear this; listen to what I have to say.
"If you can understand, hear this; listen to what I have to say.
New English Translation
"If you have understanding, listen to this, hear what I have to say.
"If you have understanding, listen to this, hear what I have to say.
Amplified Bible
"If you now have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.
"If you now have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.
New American Standard Bible
"But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.
"But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.
World English Bible
"If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words.
"If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And if thou hast vnderstanding, heare this and hearken to the voyce of my wordes.
And if thou hast vnderstanding, heare this and hearken to the voyce of my wordes.
Legacy Standard Bible
"But if you have understanding, hear this;Give ear to the sound of my speech.
"But if you have understanding, hear this;Give ear to the sound of my speech.
Berean Standard Bible
If you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words.
If you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words.
Contemporary English Version
So be smart and listen!
So be smart and listen!
Complete Jewish Bible
"If you have any sense, [Iyov,] hear this; listen to what I am saying.
"If you have any sense, [Iyov,] hear this; listen to what I am saying.
Darby Translation
If now [thou hast] understanding, hear this: give ear to the voice of my words!
If now [thou hast] understanding, hear this: give ear to the voice of my words!
George Lamsa Translation
If now you have understanding, hear this; hearken to the voice of my words.
If now you have understanding, hear this; hearken to the voice of my words.
Good News Translation
Now listen to me, if you are wise.
Now listen to me, if you are wise.
Lexham English Bible
"But if you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say.
"But if you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say.
Literal Translation
But if you have understanding, hear this; listen to the sound of my words:
But if you have understanding, hear this; listen to the sound of my words:
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf thou now haue vnderstodinge, heare what I saye and herken to the voyce of my wordes.
Yf thou now haue vnderstodinge, heare what I saye and herken to the voyce of my wordes.
American Standard Version
If now thou hast understanding, hear this: Hearken to the voice of my words.
If now thou hast understanding, hear this: Hearken to the voice of my words.
Bible in Basic English
If you are wise, take note of this; give ear to the voice of my words.
If you are wise, take note of this; give ear to the voice of my words.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
If now thou hast understanding, hear this; hearken to the voice of my words.
If now thou hast understanding, hear this; hearken to the voice of my words.
King James Version (1611)
If now thou hast vnderstanding, heare this: hearken to the voyce of my words.
If now thou hast vnderstanding, heare this: hearken to the voyce of my words.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If thou nowe haue vnderstanding, heare what I say, and hearken to the voyce of my wordes:
If thou nowe haue vnderstanding, heare what I say, and hearken to the voyce of my wordes:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Take heed lest he rebuke thee: hear this, hearken to the voice of words.
Take heed lest he rebuke thee: hear this, hearken to the voice of words.
English Revised Version
If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor if thou hast vndurstondyng, here thou that that is seid, and herkne the vois of my speche.
Therfor if thou hast vndurstondyng, here thou that that is seid, and herkne the vois of my speche.
Update Bible Version
If now [you have] understanding, hear this: Listen to the voice of my words.
If now [you have] understanding, hear this: Listen to the voice of my words.
Webster's Bible Translation
If now [thou hast] understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
If now [thou hast] understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
New King James Version
"If you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words:
"If you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words:
New Living Translation
"Now listen to me if you are wise. Pay attention to what I say.
"Now listen to me if you are wise. Pay attention to what I say.
New Life Bible
"If you have understanding, hear this. Listen to what I say.
"If you have understanding, hear this. Listen to what I say.
New Revised Standard
"If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say.
"If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If then thou hast understanding, hear this, Give thou ear to the teaching of my words: -
If then thou hast understanding, hear this, Give thou ear to the teaching of my words: -
Douay-Rheims Bible
If then thou hast understanding, hear what is said, and hearken to the voice of my words.
If then thou hast understanding, hear what is said, and hearken to the voice of my words.
Revised Standard Version
"If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say.
"If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say.
Young's Literal Translation
And if [there is] understanding, hear this, Give ear to the voice of my words.
And if [there is] understanding, hear this, Give ear to the voice of my words.
THE MESSAGE
"So, Job, use your head; this is all pretty obvious. Can someone who hates order, keep order? Do you dare condemn the righteous, mighty God? Doesn't God always tell it like it is, exposing corrupt rulers as scoundrels and criminals? Does he play favorites with the rich and famous and slight the poor? Isn't he equally responsible to everybody? Don't people who deserve it die without notice? Don't wicked rulers tumble to their doom? When the so-called great ones are wiped out, we know God is working behind the scenes.
"So, Job, use your head; this is all pretty obvious. Can someone who hates order, keep order? Do you dare condemn the righteous, mighty God? Doesn't God always tell it like it is, exposing corrupt rulers as scoundrels and criminals? Does he play favorites with the rich and famous and slight the poor? Isn't he equally responsible to everybody? Don't people who deserve it die without notice? Don't wicked rulers tumble to their doom? When the so-called great ones are wiped out, we know God is working behind the scenes.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.
"But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.
Contextual Overview
16 "If you men are wise, you will listen to what I say. 17 Can someone be a ruler if he hates justice? Job, God is not only powerful, but he is fair. Do you think you can judge him guilty? 18 God is the one who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!' He says to leaders, ‘You are evil!' 19 He does not respect leaders more than other people. And he does not respect the rich more than the poor. God made everyone. 20 Any of us can die suddenly, in the middle of the night. Anyone can get sick and pass away. Even powerful people die for no reason we can see. 21 "God watches what people do. He sees every step they take. 22 There is no place dark enough for evil people to hide from God. 23 God does not need to set a time for people to come before him and be judged. 24 He does not have to ask questions when people do wrong, even if they are powerful leaders. He simply destroys them and chooses others to take their place. 25 When he learns what people have done, he defeats them, and overnight they are gone.
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Job 12:3, Job 13:2-6
Reciprocal: Job 34:34 - understanding Proverbs 1:5 - wise
Gill's Notes on the Bible
If now [thou hast] understanding, hear this,.... Not as calling his understanding in question, as if he, had none; for Job was a very understanding man; he had not lost his natural understanding by his afflictions, see Job 6:13; nor was he without an understanding of divine things, as his speeches and answers show; but rather it is taken for granted that he was a man of understanding: "if" or "seeing" thou hast understanding, art a man of knowledge and intelligence, therefore hearken and attend to what has been said or about to be said; though, as some Jewish interpreters a observe, the word is not a noun, but a verb, and is imperative, "understand thou now, hear this"; and then the sense is, "if" things are so as before related, Job 34:13; then now understand this, take it into thy heart and mind, and well weigh and consider it:
hearken to the voice of my words; either the preceding or following ones.
a Jarchi, Bar Tzemach, in loc. so Cocceius, Schmidt, and Schultens.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
If now thou hast understanding hear this - This appears to be addressed to Job. The discourse before this had been directed to his three friends, but Elihu appears here to have turned to Job, and to have made a solemn appeal to him, whether this were not so. In the subsequent verses he remonstrates with him about his views, and shows him that what he had said implied severe reflections on the character and government of God.
