Job 36
1 And Elihu continued:
And Elihu addeth and saith: —
2 “Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you that there is more to be said on God’s behalf.
Honour me a little, and I shew thee, That yet for God [are] words.
3 I get my knowledge from afar, and I will ascribe justice to my Maker.
I lift up my knowledge from afar, And to my Maker I ascribe righteousness.
4 For truly my words are free of falsehood; one perfect in knowledge is with you.
For, truly, my words [are] not false, The perfect in knowledge [is] with thee.
5 Indeed, God is mighty, but He despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding.
Lo, God [is] mighty, and despiseth not, Mighty [in] power [and] heart.
6 He does not keep the wicked alive, but He grants justice to the afflicted.
He reviveth not the wicked, And the judgment of the poor appointeth;
7 He does not take His eyes off the righteous, but He enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever.
He withdraweth not from the righteous His eyes, And [from] kings on the throne, And causeth them to sit for ever, and they are high,
8 And if men are bound with chains, caught in cords of affliction,
And if prisoners in fetters They are captured with cords of affliction,
9 then He tells them their deeds and how arrogantly they have transgressed.
Then He declareth to them their work, And their transgressions, Because they have become mighty,
10 He opens their ears to correction and commands that they turn from iniquity.
And He uncovereth their ear for instruction, And saith that they turn back from iniquity.
11 If they obey and serve Him, then they end their days in prosperity and their years in happiness.
If they do hear and serve, They complete their days in good, And their years in pleasantness.
12 But if they do not obey, then they perish by the sword and die without knowledge.
And if they do not hearken, By the dart they pass away, And expire without knowledge.
13 The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when He binds them, they do not cry for help.
And the profane in heart set the face, They cry not when He hath bound them.
14 They die in their youth, among the male shrine prostitutes.
Their soul dieth in youth, And their life among the defiled.
15 God rescues the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ears in oppression.
He draweth out the afflicted in his affliction, And uncovereth in oppression their ear.
16 Indeed, He drew you from the jaws of distress to a spacious and broad place, to a table full of richness.
And also He moved thee from a strait place, [To] a broad place — no straitness under it, And the sitting beyond of thy table Hath been full of fatness.
17 But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have seized you.
And the judgment of the wicked thou hast fulfilled, Judgment and justice are upheld — because of fury,
18 Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a large bribe lead you astray.
Lest He move thee with a stroke, And the abundance of an atonement turn thee not aside.
19 Can your wealth or all your mighty effort keep you from distress?
Doth He value thy riches? He hath gold, and all the forces of power.
20 Do not long for the night, when people vanish from their homes.
Desire not the night, For the going up of peoples in their stead.
21 Be careful not to turn to iniquity, for this you have preferred to affliction.
Take heed — do not turn unto iniquity, For on this thou hast fixed Rather than [on] affliction.
22 Behold, God is exalted in His power. Who is a teacher like Him?
Lo, God doth sit on high by His power, Who [is] like Him — a teacher?
23 Who has appointed His way for Him, or told Him, ‘You have done wrong’?
Who hath appointed unto Him his way? And who said, 'Thou hast done iniquity?'
24 Remember to magnify His work, which men have praised in song.
Remember that thou magnify His work That men have beheld.
25 All mankind has seen it; men behold it from afar.
All men have looked on it, Man looketh attentively from afar.
26 Indeed, God is great—beyond our knowledge; the number of His years is unsearchable.
Lo, God [is] high, And we know not the number of His years, Yea, there [is] no searching.
27 For He draws up drops of water which distill the rain from the mist,
When He doth diminish droppings of the waters, They refine rain according to its vapour,
28 which the clouds pour out and shower abundantly on mankind.
Which clouds do drop, They distil on man abundantly.
29 Furthermore, who can understand how the clouds spread out, how the thunder roars from His pavilion?
Yea, doth [any] understand The spreadings out of a cloud? The noises of His tabernacle?
30 See how He scatters His lightning around Him and covers the depths of the sea.
Lo, He hath spread over it His light, And the roots of the sea He hath covered,
31 For by these He judges the nations and provides food in abundance.
For by them He doth judge peoples, He giveth food in abundance.
32 He fills His hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark.
By two palms He hath covered the light, And layeth a charge over it in meeting,
33 The thunder declares His presence; even the cattle regard the rising storm.
He sheweth by it [to] his friend substance, Anger against perversity.
