< Job 36 >

1 Elihu also proceeded, and said:
And Elihu proceeded and said,
2 Bear with me a little while, that I may show thee! For I have yet words in behalf of God.
Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet words for God.
3 I will bring my knowledge from afar, And assert the justice of my Maker.
I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Creator.
4 Truly my words shall not be false: A man of sound knowledge is before thee.
For truly my words shall be no falsehood: one perfect in knowledge is with thee.
5 Behold, God is great, but despiseth not any; Great is he in strength of understanding.
Lo, God is mighty, but despiseth not [any]; mighty in strength of understanding:
6 He suffereth not the wicked to prosper, But rendereth justice to the oppressed.
He saveth not the wicked alive; but he doeth justice to the afflicted.
7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous; But establisheth them for ever with kings on the throne, That they may be exalted.
He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne doth he even set them for ever; and they are exalted.
8 And if they be bound in fetters, And holden in the cords of affliction,
And if, bound in fetters, they be held in cords of affliction,
9 Then showeth he them their deeds, And how they have set him at defiance by their transgressions;
Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions, because they have increased.
10 He also openeth their ears to admonition, And commandeth them to return from iniquity.
And he openeth their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.
11 If they obey and serve him, They spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures.
If they hearken and serve [him], they shall accomplish their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
12 But if they obey not, they perish by the sword; They die in their own folly.
But if they hearken not, they shall pass away by the sword, and expire without knowledge.
13 The corrupt in heart treasure up wrath; They cry not to God, when he bindeth them.
But the godless in heart heap up anger; they cry not when he bindeth them:
14 They die in their youth; They close their lives with the unclean.
Their soul dieth in youth, and their life is among the unclean.
15 But he delivereth the poor in their distress; He openeth their ears in affliction.
But he delivereth the afflicted in his affliction, and openeth their ear in [their] oppression.
16 He will bring thee also from the jaws of distress To a broad place, where is no straitness; And the provision of thy table shall be full of fatness.
Even so would he have allured thee out of the jaws of distress into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and the supply of thy table [would be] full of fatness.
17 But if thou art full of the judgment of the wicked, Judgment and justice shall take hold of thee.
But thou art full of the judgments of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold [on thee].
18 For if wrath be with him, beware lest he take thee away by his stroke, So that a great ransom shall not save thee!
Because there is wrath, [beware] lest it take thee away through chastisement: then a great ransom could not avail thee.
19 Will he esteem thy riches? No! neither thy gold, nor all the abundance of thy wealth.
Will he esteem thy riches? Not gold, nor all the resources of strength!
20 Long not thou for that night To which nations are taken away from their place.
Desire not the night, when peoples are cut off from their place.
21 Take heed, turn not thine eyes to iniquity! For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.
Take heed, turn not to iniquity; for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.
22 Behold, God is exalted in his power: Who is a teacher like him?
Lo, God is exalted in his power: who teacheth as he?
23 Who hath prescribed to him his way? Or who can say to him, “Thou hast done wrong”?
Who hath appointed him his way? or who hath said, Thou hast wrought unrighteousness?
24 Forget not to magnify his work, Which men celebrate with songs.
Remember that thou magnify his work, which men celebrate.
25 All mankind gaze upon it; Mortals behold it from afar.
All men look at it; man beholdeth [it] afar off.
26 Behold, God is great; we cannot know him, Nor search out the number of his years.
Lo, God is great, and we comprehend [him] not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.
27 Lo! he draweth up the drops of water, Which distil rain from his vapor;
For he draweth up the drops of water: they distil in rain from the vapour which he formeth,
28 The clouds pour it down, And drop it upon man in abundance.
Which the skies pour down [and] drop upon man abundantly.
29 Who can understand the spreading of his clouds, And the rattling of his pavilion?
But can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, [or] the crashing of his pavilion?
30 Behold, he spreadeth around himself his light, And he clotheth himself with the depths of the sea.
Lo, he spreadeth his light around him, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
31 By these he punisheth nations, And by these he giveth food in abundance.
For with them he judgeth the peoples; he giveth food in abundance.
32 His hands he covereth with lightning; He giveth it commandment against an enemy.
[His] hands he covereth with lightning, and commandeth it where it is to strike.
33 His thunder maketh him known; Yea, to the herds, as he ascendeth on high.
His thundering declareth concerning him; the cattle even, concerning its coming.

< Job 36 >