Job 36
1 And Elihu continued:
Elihu [finished by] saying this:
2 “Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you that there is more to be said on God’s behalf.
“[Job, ] be patient with me a little longer, because I have something else to teach you. I have something else to say that God [wants you to know].
3 I get my knowledge from afar, and I will ascribe justice to my Maker.
I will tell you what I have learned from many sources, in order to show that God, my creator, is just/fair.
4 For truly my words are free of falsehood; one perfect in knowledge is with you.
I am not saying anything to you that is false; I, who am standing in front of you, am someone who understands things (very well/perfectly) [HYP].
5 Indeed, God is mighty, but He despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding.
“Hey, God is [very] powerful, and he does not despise anyone, and he understands everything.
6 He does not keep the wicked alive, but He grants justice to the afflicted.
He does not allow wicked people to remain alive, and he always acts justly toward those who are poor.
7 He does not take His eyes off the righteous, but He enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever.
He always watches over [MTY] those who are righteous; he allows them to sit on thrones [and rule] with kings, and they are honored forever.
8 And if men are bound with chains, caught in cords of affliction,
But if people [who commit crimes] are caught, they [are thrown into prison and] are caused to suffer by being fastened with chains.
9 then He tells them their deeds and how arrogantly they have transgressed.
When that happens, God shows them what they have done; he shows them the sins that they have committed, and he shows them that they have been proud/arrogant.
10 He opens their ears to correction and commands that they turn from iniquity.
He causes them to listen [MTY] to what he is warning them, and he commands them to turn away from [doing what is] evil.
11 If they obey and serve Him, then they end their days in prosperity and their years in happiness.
If they (listen to/heed) him and serve him, [after they get out of prison] they will prosper for all the years that they are alive and be peaceful/happy.
12 But if they do not obey, then they perish by the sword and die without knowledge.
But if they do not (listen/pay attention) to him, they will die violently, not knowing [why God is causing them to die].
13 The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when He binds them, they do not cry for help.
“Godless/Wicked people continue being angry, and they do not cry out for help, [even] when God is punishing them.
14 They die in their youth, among the male shrine prostitutes.
They die while they are still young, disgraced because of their very immoral behavior [EUP].
15 God rescues the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ears in oppression.
But God teaches people by causing them to suffer; by afflicting them, he causes them to listen to [MTY] what he is telling them.
16 Indeed, He drew you from the jaws of distress to a spacious and broad place, to a table full of richness.
“And Job, [I think that] God [wants to] bring you out of your troubles and allow you to live without distress; he wants your table to be full of very nice food.
17 But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have seized you.
But now, you are being punished [MTY] as wicked people are punished; [God] [PRS] has been punishing you (justly/as you deserve).
18 Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a large bribe lead you astray.
So be careful that you are not deceived by [desiring to acquire] money or that you are not ruined by [accepting] large bribes.
19 Can your wealth or all your mighty effort keep you from distress?
[If you are deceived by those things, ] it certainly will not [RHQ] help you to cry out when you are distressed; all of your strength will not help you.
20 Do not long for the night, when people vanish from their homes.
Do not wish that it would be nighttime [in order that God will not see you and punish you], because night is the time when [even] people-groups are destroyed!
21 Be careful not to turn to iniquity, for this you have preferred to affliction.
Be careful not to [begin doing] evil things, because [God] has caused you to suffer to prevent you from doing evil.
22 Behold, God is exalted in His power. Who is a teacher like Him?
“Hey, God is extremely powerful; there is certainly [RHQ] no teacher who teaches like he does.
23 Who has appointed His way for Him, or told Him, ‘You have done wrong’?
No one has [RHQ] told him what he should do, and no one has [RHQ] said to him, ‘You have done what is wrong!’
24 Remember to magnify His work, which men have praised in song.
People have [always] sung to praise him, so you also should never forget to praise him for what he has done.
25 All mankind has seen it; men behold it from afar.
Everyone has seen [what he has done], but [sometimes] we can see it only from far away.
26 Indeed, God is great—beyond our knowledge; the number of His years is unsearchable.
“Hey, God is very great, and we are not able to know how great he is, and we do not know how old he is.
27 For He draws up drops of water which distill the rain from the mist,
He draws water up [from the earth and puts it in clouds] and causes it to become rain.
28 which the clouds pour out and shower abundantly on mankind.
The rain pours down from the sky/clouds; God causes abundant showers to fall on everyone.
29 Furthermore, who can understand how the clouds spread out, how the thunder roars from His pavilion?
No one can [RHQ] understand how the clouds move [across the sky] or how it thunders in the sky where God lives.
30 See how He scatters His lightning around Him and covers the depths of the sea.
He causes lightning to flash all around him, but he causes the bottom of the oceans to remain dark.
31 For by these He judges the nations and provides food in abundance.
By providing plenty of rain for us, he enables us to have abundant food.
32 He fills His hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark.
[It is as though] he holds the lightning in his hands, and [then] he commands it to strike where he wants it to.
33 The thunder declares His presence; even the cattle regard the rising storm.
When we hear his thunder, we know that there will be a storm, and the cattle know it, too.”
