Job 36
1 And Elihu adds and says:
Then continued Elihu, and said,
2 “Honor me a little, and I show you, That yet for God [are] words.
Wait for me a little, and I will instruct thee; for [I have] still some words on God's behalf.
3 I lift up my knowledge from afar, And I ascribe 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 my words [are] truly not false, The perfect in knowledge [is] with you.
For truly no falsehood is [in] my words: one that is upright in [his] opinions [dealeth now] with thee.
5 Behold, God [is] mighty, and does not despise, Mighty [in] power [and] heart.
Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength of intellect.
6 He does not revive the wicked, And appoints the judgment of the poor;
He permitteth not the wicked to live; but he procureth justice for the afflicted.
7 He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous, And [from] kings on the throne, And causes them to sit forever, and they are high,
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 prisoners in chains They are captured with cords of affliction,
And if they be bound in fetters, and if they be entangled in the cords of affliction:
9 Then He declares to them their work, And their transgressions, Because they have become mighty,
Then doth he tell them of their work, and of their transgressions, when they had become strong.
10 And He uncovers their ear for instruction, And commands that they turn back from iniquity.
And he openeth thus their ear to correction, and saith that they should return from wrong-doing.
11 If they hear and serve, They complete their days in good, And their years in pleasantness.
If they hearken and serve [him], they will spend their days in happiness, and their years in pleasures.
12 And if they do not listen, They pass away by the dart, And expire without knowledge.
But if they hearken not, they will pass away through the sword, and they will perish in want of knowledge.
13 And the profane in heart set the face, They do not cry when He has bound them.
But the hypocrites in heart persevere in wrath; they will not offer entreaty when he bindeth them:
14 Their soul dies in youth, And their life among the defiled.
Their soul will die in youth, and their life, among the incestuous.
15 He draws out the afflicted in his affliction, And uncovers their ear in oppression.
He delivereth the afflicted through his affliction, and openeth through oppression his ear.
16 And He also moved you from a narrow place [To] a broad place—no constriction under it, And the sitting beyond of your table has been full of fatness.
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.
17 And you have fulfilled the judgment of the wicked, Judgment and justice are upheld because of fury,
But if thou art full of the judgment of the wicked: [divine] judgment and decree will support each other.
18 Lest He move you with a stroke, And the abundance of an atonement not turn you aside.
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.
19 Does He value your riches? He has gold, and all the forces of power.
Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold ore, nor all the highest forces of strength.
20 Do not desire the night, For the going up of peoples in their stead.
Desire then not eagerly the night, when nations pass away in their place.
21 Take heed—do not turn to iniquity, For you have fixed on this Rather than [on] affliction.
Take heed, turn not thyself to wrong-doing, so that thou wouldst choose this because of [thy] affliction.
22 Behold, God sits on high by His power, Who [is] like Him—a teacher?
Behold, God is exalted by his power: who is an instructer like him?
23 Who has appointed to Him His way? And who said, You have done iniquity?
Who hath given him a charge concerning his way? or who hath ever said, Thou hast acted unjustly?
24 Remember that you magnify His work That men have beheld.
Reflect, that thou shouldst magnify his work, which [other] men have beheld.
25 All men have looked on it, Man looks attentively from afar.
All men have looked at it [with astonishment]; the mortal gazeth at it from afar.
26 Behold, God [is] high, And we do not know the number of His years, Indeed, there [is] no searching.
Behold, God is great, and we comprehend him not, the number of his years can truly not be searched out.
27 When He diminishes droppings of the waters, They refine rain according to its vapor,
For he taketh away drops of water, which are purified into rain in his mist:
28 Which clouds drop, They distill on man abundantly.
These drop down out of the skies; they distil upon the multitude of men.
29 Indeed, do [any] understand The spreadings out of a cloud? The noises of His dwelling place?
But [what man] can understand the outspreadings of the clouds? the tumult of his tabernacle?
30 Behold, He has spread His light over it, And He has covered the roots of the sea,
Behold, he spreadeth out over it his light, and covereth up the roots of the sea.
31 For He judges peoples by them, He gives food in abundance.
For by means of them he judgeth nations, he giveth food in superfluity.
32 By two palms He has covered the light, And lays a charge over it in meeting,
[His] hands he covereth with light; and he commandeth it to strike the one who striveth against him.
33 His shout shows it, The livestock also, the rising [storm].”
The noise of his storm telleth of it, yea, the cattle also, of the rising tempest.
