Job 34:20
New International Version
They die in an instant, in the middle of the night; the people are shaken and they pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.

New Living Translation
In a moment they die. In the middle of the night they pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.

English Standard Version
In a moment they die; at midnight the people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away by no human hand.

Berean Standard Bible
They die in an instant, in the middle of the night. The people convulse and pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.

King James Bible
In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.

New King James Version
In a moment they die, in the middle of the night; The people are shaken and pass away; The mighty are taken away without a hand.

New American Standard Bible
“In a moment they die, and at midnight People are shaken and pass away, And the powerful are taken away without a hand.

NASB 1995
“In a moment they die, and at midnight People are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without a hand.

NASB 1977
“In a moment they die, and at midnight People are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without a hand.

Legacy Standard Bible
In a moment they die, and at midnight People are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without a hand.

Amplified Bible
“In a moment they die, even at midnight The people are shaken and pass away, And the powerful are taken away without a [human] hand.

Christian Standard Bible
They die suddenly in the middle of the night; people shudder, then pass away. Even the mighty are removed without effort.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They die suddenly in the middle of the night; people shudder, then pass away. Even the mighty are removed without effort.

American Standard Version
In a moment they die, even at midnight; The people are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without hand.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Suddenly they die, and in the middle of the night are consumed and are destroyed and they see The Almighty One, not in power

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But it shall turn out vanity to them, to cry and beseech a man; for they dealt unlawfully, the poor being turned aside from their right.

Contemporary English Version
Even powerful rulers die in the darkness of night when they least expect it, just like the rest of us.

Douay-Rheims Bible
They shall suddenly die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and they shall pass, and take away the violent without hand.

English Revised Version
In a moment they die, even at midnight; the people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away without hand.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They die suddenly in the middle of the night. People have seizures and pass away. Mighty people are taken away but not by human hands.

Good News Translation
We may suddenly die at night. God strikes us down and we perish; he kills the mighty with no effort at all.

International Standard Version
"They die suddenly, in the middle of the night; people suffer seizures and pass away; even valiant men can be taken away— and not by human hands.

JPS Tanakh 1917
In a moment they die, even at midnight; The people are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without hand.

Literal Standard Version
[In] a moment they die, | And at midnight people shake, | And they pass away, | And they remove the mighty without hand.

Majority Standard Bible
They die in an instant, in the middle of the night. The people convulse and pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.

New American Bible
in a moment they die, even at midnight. People are shaken, and pass away, the powerful are removed without lifting a hand;

NET Bible
In a moment they die, in the middle of the night, people are shaken and they pass away. The mighty are removed effortlessly.

New Revised Standard Version
In a moment they die; at midnight the people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away by no human hand.

New Heart English Bible
In a moment they die, even at midnight. The people are shaken and pass away. The mighty are taken away without a hand.

Webster's Bible Translation
In a moment they shall die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.

World English Bible
In a moment they die, even at midnight. The people are shaken and pass away. The mighty are taken away without a hand.

Young's Literal Translation
In a moment they die, and at midnight Shake do people, and they pass away, And they remove the mighty without hand.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Elihu Confirms God's Justice
19who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands. 20They die in an instant, in the middle of the night. The people convulse and pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand. 21For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step.…

Cross References
Exodus 12:29
Now at midnight the LORD struck down every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon, as well as all the firstborn among the livestock.

Job 12:19
He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.

Job 27:20
Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest sweeps him away in the night.

Job 34:25
Therefore, He recognizes their deeds; He overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.

Job 36:20
Do not long for the night, when people vanish from their homes.

Daniel 8:25
Through his craft and by his hand, he will cause deceit to prosper, and in his own mind he will make himself great. In a time of peace he will destroy many, and he will even stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be broken off, but not by human hands.


Treasury of Scripture

In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.

a moment

Psalm 73:19
How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

Isaiah 30:13
Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.

Isaiah 37:38
And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

troubled

Exodus 12:29,30
And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle…

Isaiah 37:36
Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

Matthew 25:6
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

the mighty shall be taken away.

1 Samuel 25:37-39
But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone…

1 Samuel 26:10
David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.

Isaiah 10:16-19
Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire…

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Blow Convulsed Die End Hand Human Instant Middle Midnight Mighty Moment Night Remove Removed Shake Shaken Strong Suddenly Troubled Wealth
Job 34
1. Elihu accuses Job for charging God with injustice
10. God omnipotent cannot be unjust
31. Man must humble himself unto God
34. Elihu reproves Job














(20) In a moment shall they die--i.e., "they all alike die, rich and poor together; the hour of death is not hastened for the poor nor delayed for the rich. They all alike die."

Even at midnight the people are troubled. . . .--It is hard to think that the writer did not know of Exodus 12:29. It is better to read these statements as habitual presents and not as futures: "In a moment they die, even at midnight--the people are shaken and pass away," &c.

Verse 20. - In a moment shall they die. All lie under the same law of death -

"Pallida Mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas
Regumque turres."


(Horace,'Od.,' 1:4, 11. 13, 14.) In a moment, whenever God wills, they pass from life and disappear, the rich equally with the needy, the powerful prince as much as the outcast and the beggar. And the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away. (comp. Exodus 12:29; 2 Kings 19:35). Such sudden catastrophes are infrequent; but it is within the power of God to produce them at any time. When they occur, they strikingly exemplify the equality of his dealings with all classes of men, since none escape (Exodus 11:5; Exodus 12:29). And the mighty shall be taken away without hand; i.e. without human agency (comp. Daniel 2:34).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They die
יָמֻתוּ֮ (yā·mu·ṯū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

in a moment,
רֶ֤גַע ׀ (re·ḡa‘)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7281: A wink, a very short space of time

and at midnight;
וַחֲצ֪וֹת (wa·ḥă·ṣō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2676: Division, middle

the people
עָ֣ם (‘ām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

convulse
יְגֹעֲשׁ֣וּ (yə·ḡō·‘ă·šū)
Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1607: To agitate violently

and pass away;
וְיַעֲבֹ֑רוּ (wə·ya·‘ă·ḇō·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

the mighty
אַ֝בִּ֗יר (’ab·bîr)
Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 47: Mighty, valiant

are removed
וְיָסִ֥ירוּ (wə·yā·sî·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5493: To turn aside

without
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

human hand.
בְיָֽד׃ (ḇə·yāḏ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand


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OT Poetry: Job 34:20 In a moment they die even at (Jb)
Job 34:19
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