Job 34:18

King James Version

Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?

Parallel Translations

New Living Translation
For he says to kings, ‘You are wicked,' and to nobles, ‘You are unjust.'

English Revised Version
Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art vile? or to nobles, Ye are wicked?

Update Bible Version
Who says to a king, [You are] vile, [Or] to nobles, [You are] wicked?

New Century Version
God is the one who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,' or to important people, ‘You are evil.'

New English Translation
who says to a king, ‘Worthless man' and to nobles, ‘Wicked men,'

Webster's Bible Translation
[Is it fit] to say to a king, [Thou art] wicked? [and] to princes, [Ye are] ungodly?

World English Bible
Who says to a king, 'Vile!' Or to nobles, 'Wicked!'

Amplified Bible
"God who says to a king, 'You are worthless and vile,' Or to princes and nobles, 'You are wicked and evil'?

English Standard Version
who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,' and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Which seith to the kyng, Thou art apostata; which clepith the duykis vnpitouse, `ethir vnfeithful.

Berean Standard Bible
who says to kings, 'You are worthless!' and to nobles, 'You are wicked,'

Contemporary English Version
Indeed, God is the one who condemns unfair rulers.

American Standard Version
Him that saith to a king, Thou art vile, Or to nobles, Ye are wicked;

Bible in Basic English
He who says to a king, You are an evil-doer; and to rulers, You are sinners;

Darby Translation
Shall one say to a king, Belial? to nobles, Wicked?

Easy-to-Read Version
God is the one who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!' He says to leaders, ‘You are evil!'

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Is it fit to say to a king: 'Thou art base'? Or to nobles: 'Ye are wicked'?--

King James Version (1611)
Is it fit to say to a King, Thou art wicked? and to Princes, Ye are vngodly?

New Life Bible
Who says to a king, ‘You are of no worth,' and to rulers, ‘You are sinful'?

New Revised Standard
who says to a king, ‘You scoundrel!' and to princes, ‘You wicked men!';

Geneva Bible (1587)
Wilt thou say vnto a King, Thou art wicked? or to princes, Ye are vngodly?

George Lamsa Translation
He who says concerning the king that he is wicked, and yet he is a good ruler over princes and governors;

Good News Translation
God condemns kings and rulers when they are worthless or wicked.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Doth one say to a king, Abandoned one! Or, Lawless one! unto nobles?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Who saith to the king: Thou art an apostate: who calleth rulers ungodly:

Revised Standard Version
who says to a king, 'Worthless one,' and to nobles, 'Wicked man';

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Is it reason that thou shouldest say to the king, Thou art wicked, or thou art vngodly, and that before the princes?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
He is ungodly that says to a king, Thou art a transgressor, that says to princes, O most ungodly one.

Christian Standard Bible®
who says to a king, “Worthless man!”and to nobles, “Wicked men!”?

Hebrew Names Version
Who says to a king, 'Vile!' Or to nobles, 'Wicked!'

Lexham English Bible
the one who says to a king, ‘You worthless man,' to noblemen, ‘You wicked man,'

Literal Translation
who says to a king, O worthless one; to nobles, O evil one?

Young's Literal Translation
Who hath said to a king -- `Worthless,' Unto princes -- `Wicked?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For he is euen the same, yt knoweth the rebellious kynges, & sayeth to princes:

New American Standard Bible
Who says to a king, 'You worthless one,' To nobles, 'You wicked one';

New King James Version
Is it fitting to say to a king, "You are worthless,' And to nobles, "You are wicked'?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Who says to a king, 'Worthless one,' To nobles, 'Wicked ones';

Legacy Standard Bible
Who says to a king, ‘Vile one,'To nobles, ‘Wicked ones';

Contextual Overview

¹⁶ If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words. ¹⁷ Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just? ¹⁸ Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly? ¹⁹ How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands. ²⁰ 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. ²¹ For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. ²² There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. ²³ For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God. ²⁴ He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead. ²⁵ Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Exodus 22:28, Proverbs 17:26, Acts 23:3, Acts 23:5, Romans 13:7, 1 Peter 2:17, 2 Peter 2:10, Jude 1:8

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 13:13 - Thou hast done 2 Samuel 19:6 - thou regardest 2 Chronicles 16:9 - Herein Job 1:22 - charged God foolishly Job 10:3 - Is it good Job 32:2 - because Ecclesiastes 8:4 - What Hosea 14:9 - for Matthew 20:13 - I do Romans 9:14 - Is there unrighteousness

Gill's Notes on the Bible

[Is it fit] to say to a king, [thou art] wicked?.... Not even to a bad king; for though he may be reproved for his sins, yet not by any or everyone, but by a fit and proper person: and generally speaking, if not always, the Scriptural instances of reproving such kings are of men that were prophets, and sent in the name of the Lord to do it; and when done by them, was done with decency: and much less should this be said to a good king; as to say to him, Belial, the word here used; or thou art Belial; or a son of Belial, as Shimei said to David, 2 Samuel 16:7; a name given to the worst of men, and is the devil himself; and signifies either one without a yoke, or lawless, which a king is not; or unprofitable, whereas a king is a minister of God for good; is for the punishment of evildoers, and for a praise to them that do well;

[and] to princes, [ye are] ungodly? Who have their name from being generous, munificent, and liberal, and therefore should not be treated in such a manner; who are the sons of kings, or subordinate magistrates to them, and execute their will and pleasure, laws and precepts. And if now such language is not to be used to earthly kings and princes, then surely not to the King of kings and Lord of lords; so Jarchi interprets it of God the King of the world; and some Christian interpreters, as Schmidt, understand by "princes" the three Persons in the Godhead; which can hardly be made to bear: though, could the whole be understood of God in the three Persons of the Deity, the connection with Job 34:19 would run more smoothly without the supplement that is made; so Broughton,

"to the King, the King of nobles, that accepteth not,'' &c.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? - The argument here is this: “There would be gross impropriety in arraigning the conduct of an earthly monarch, and using language severely condemning what he does. Respect is due to those of elevated rank. Their plans are often concealed. It is difficult to judge of them until they are fully developed. To condemn those plans, and to use the language of complaint, would not be tolerated, and would be grossly improper. How much more so when that language relates to the Great, the Infinite God, and to his eternal plans!” It may be added here, in accordance with the sentiment of Elihu, that people often indulge in thoughts and language about God which they would not tolerate respecting an earthly monarch.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 34:18. Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? — The sentence is very short, and is thus translated by the VULGATE: Qui dicit regi, Apostata? Qui vocat duces impios? "Who says to a king, Apostate? Who calls leaders impious ?" Literally, Who calls a king Belial? Who calls princes wicked? Civil governors should be treated with respect; no man should speak evil of the ruler of the people. This should never be permitted. Even where the man cannot be respected, because his moral conduct is improper, even there the office is sacred, and should be reverenced. He who permits himself to talk against the man, would destroy the office and authority, if he could.