Job 36
1 Elihu also proceeded, and said:
And Elius further continued, and said,
2 Bear with me a little while, that I may show thee! For I have yet words in behalf of God.
Wait for me yet a little while, that I may teach you: for there is yet speech in me.
3 I will bring my knowledge from afar, And assert the justice of my Maker.
Having fetched my knowledge from afar, and according to my works,
4 Truly my words shall not be false: A man of sound knowledge is before thee.
I will speak just things truly, and you shall not unjustly receive unjust words.
5 Behold, God is great, but despiseth not any; Great is he in strength of understanding.
But know that the Lord will not cast off an innocent man: being mighty in strength of wisdom,
6 He suffereth not the wicked to prosper, But rendereth justice to the oppressed.
he will not by any means save alive the ungodly: and he will grant the judgment of the poor.
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 will not turn away his eyes from the righteous, but [they shall be] with kings on the throne: and he will establish them in triumph, and they shall be exalted.
8 And if they be bound in fetters, And holden in the cords of affliction,
But they that are bound in fetters shall be holden in cords of poverty.
9 Then showeth he them their deeds, And how they have set him at defiance by their transgressions;
And he shall recount to them their works, and their transgressions, for such will act with violence.
10 He also openeth their ears to admonition, And commandeth them to return from iniquity.
But he will listen to the righteous: and he has said that they shall turn from unrighteousness.
11 If they obey and serve him, They spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures.
If they should hear and serve [him], they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in honor.
12 But if they obey not, they perish by the sword; They die in their own folly.
But he preserves not the ungodly; because they are not willing to know the Lord, and because when reproved they were disobedient.
13 The corrupt in heart treasure up wrath; They cry not to God, when he bindeth them.
And the hypocrites in heart will array wrath [against themselves]; they will not cry, because he has bound them.
14 They die in their youth; They close their lives with the unclean.
Therefore let their soul die in youth, and their life be wounded by messengers [of death].
15 But he delivereth the poor in their distress; He openeth their ears in affliction.
Because they afflicted the weak and helpless: and he will vindicate the judgment of the meek.
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.
And he has also enticed you out of the mouth of the enemy:
17 But if thou art full of the judgment of the wicked, Judgment and justice shall take hold of thee.
[there is] a deep gulf [and] a rushing stream beneath it, and your table came down full of fatness. Judgment shall not fail from the righteous;
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!
but there shall be wrath upon the ungodly, by reason of the ungodliness of the bribes which they received for iniquities.
19 Will he esteem thy riches? No! neither thy gold, nor all the abundance of thy wealth.
Let not [your] mind willingly turn you aside from the petition of the feeble that are in distress.
20 Long not thou for that night To which nations are taken away from their place.
And draw not forth all the mighty [men] by night, so that the people should go up instead of them.
21 Take heed, turn not thine eyes to iniquity! For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.
But take heed lest you do that which is wrong: for of this you has made choice because of poverty.
22 Behold, God is exalted in his power: Who is a teacher like him?
Behold, the Mighty One shall prevail by his strength: for who is powerful as he is?
23 Who hath prescribed to him his way? Or who can say to him, “Thou hast done wrong”?
And who is he that examines his works? or who can say, he has wrought injustice?
24 Forget not to magnify his work, Which men celebrate with songs.
Remember that his works are great [beyond] those which men have attempted.
25 All mankind gaze upon it; Mortals behold it from afar.
Every man has seen in himself, how many mortals are wounded.
26 Behold, God is great; we cannot know him, Nor search out the number of his years.
Behold, the Mighty One is great, and we shall not know [him]: the number of his years is even infinite.
27 Lo! he draweth up the drops of water, Which distil rain from his vapor;
And the drops of rain are numbered by him, and shall be poured out in rain to form a cloud.
28 The clouds pour it down, And drop it upon man in abundance.
The ancient [heavens] shall flow, and the clouds overshadow innumerable mortals: he has fixed a time to cattle, and they know the order of rest. [Yet] by all these things your understanding is not astonished, neither is your mind disturbed in [your] body.
29 Who can understand the spreading of his clouds, And the rattling of his pavilion?
And though one should understand the outspreadings of the clouds, [or] the measure of his tabernacle;
30 Behold, he spreadeth around himself his light, And he clotheth himself with the depths of the sea.
behold he will stretch his bow against him, and he covers the bottom of the sea.
31 By these he punisheth nations, And by these he giveth food in abundance.
For by them he will judge the nations: he will give food to him that has strength.
32 His hands he covereth with lightning; He giveth it commandment against an enemy.
He has hidden the light in [his] hands, and given charge concerning it to the interposing [cloud].
33 His thunder maketh him known; Yea, to the herds, as he ascendeth on high.
The Lord will declare concerning this [to] his friend: [but there is] a portion also for unrighteousness.
