Job 36
1 And Elihu went on to say,
Then continued Elihu, and said,
2 Give me a little more time, and I will make it clear to you; for I have still something to say for God.
Wait for me a little, and I will instruct thee; for [I have] still some words on God's behalf.
3 I will get my knowledge from far, and I will give righteousness to my Maker.
I will lift up my knowledge for him who is afar, and for my Maker will I obtain righteousness.
4 For truly my words are not false; one who has all knowledge is talking with you.
For truly no falsehood is [in] my words: one that is upright in [his] opinions [dealeth now] with thee.
5 Truly, God gives up the hard-hearted, and will not give life to the sinner.
Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength of intellect.
6 His eyes are ever on the upright, and he gives to the crushed their right;
He permitteth not the wicked to live; but he procureth justice for the afflicted.
7 Lifting them up to the seat of kings, and making them safe for ever.
He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous; but [he placeth them] with kings on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.
8 And if they have been prisoned in chains, and taken in cords of trouble,
And if they be bound in fetters, and if they be entangled in the cords of affliction:
9 Then he makes clear to them what they have done, even their evil works in which they have taken pride.
Then doth he tell them of their work, and of their transgressions, when they had become strong.
10 Their ear is open to his teaching, and he gives them orders so that their hearts may be turned from evil.
And he openeth thus their ear to correction, and saith that they should return from wrong-doing.
11 If they give ear to his voice, and do his word, then he gives them long life, and years full of pleasure.
If they hearken and serve [him], they will spend their days in happiness, and their years in pleasures.
12 But if not, they come to their end, and give up their breath without knowledge.
But if they hearken not, they will pass away through the sword, and they will perish in want of knowledge.
13 Those who have no fear of God keep wrath stored up in their hearts; they give no cry for help when they are made prisoners.
But the hypocrites in heart persevere in wrath; they will not offer entreaty when he bindeth them:
14 They come to their end while they are still young, their life is short like that of those who are used for sex purposes in the worship of their gods.
Their soul will die in youth, and their life, among the incestuous.
15 He makes the wrong done to the poor the way of their salvation, opening their ears by their trouble.
He delivereth the afflicted through his affliction, and openeth through oppression his ear.
And also thee hath he incited away from the jaws of distress into a wide space, on the site of which there is no straitness; and what is set on thy table is full of fatness.
But if thou art full of the judgment of the wicked: [divine] judgment and decree will support each other.
For there would be fury, If aught were to incite thee to utter an abundance [of rebellious words]; and the greatness of the infliction must not mislead thee.
Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold ore, nor all the highest forces of strength.
Desire then not eagerly the night, when nations pass away in their place.
21 Take care not to be turned to sin, for you have taken evil for your part in place of sorrow.
Take heed, turn not thyself to wrong-doing, so that thou wouldst choose this because of [thy] affliction.
22 Truly God is lifted up in strength; who is a ruler like him?
Behold, God is exalted by his power: who is an instructer like him?
23 Who ever gave orders to him, or said to him, You have done wrong?
Who hath given him a charge concerning his way? or who hath ever said, Thou hast acted unjustly?
24 See that you give praise to his work, about which men make songs.
Reflect, that thou shouldst magnify his work, which [other] men have beheld.
25 All people are looking on it; man sees it from far.
All men have looked at it [with astonishment]; the mortal gazeth at it from afar.
26 Truly, God is great, greater than all our knowledge; the number of his years may not be searched out.
Behold, God is great, and we comprehend him not, the number of his years can truly not be searched out.
27 For he takes up the drops from the sea; he sends them through his mist as rain,
For he taketh away drops of water, which are purified into rain in his mist:
28 Flowing down from the sky, and dropping on the peoples.
These drop down out of the skies; they distil upon the multitude of men.
29 And who has knowledge of how the clouds are stretched out, or of the thunders of his tent?
But [what man] can understand the outspreadings of the clouds? the tumult of his tabernacle?
30 See, he is stretching out his mist, covering the tops of the mountains with it.
Behold, he spreadeth out over it his light, and covereth up the roots of the sea.
31 For by these he gives food to the peoples, and bread in full measure.
For by means of them he judgeth nations, he giveth food in superfluity.
32 He takes the light in his hands, sending it against the mark.
[His] hands he covereth with light; and he commandeth it to strike the one who striveth against him.
33 The thunder makes clear his passion, and the storm gives news of his wrath.
The noise of his storm telleth of it, yea, the cattle also, of the rising tempest.
