Job 36
1 Elihu also proceeded, and said:
Then continued Elihu, 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 a little, and I will instruct thee; for [I have] still some words on God's behalf.
3 I will bring my knowledge from afar, And assert the justice of my Maker.
I will lift up my knowledge for him who is afar, and for my Maker will I obtain righteousness.
4 Truly my words shall not be false: A man of sound knowledge is before thee.
For truly no falsehood is [in] my words: one that is upright in [his] opinions [dealeth now] with thee.
5 Behold, God is great, but despiseth not any; Great is he in strength of understanding.
Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength of intellect.
6 He suffereth not the wicked to prosper, But rendereth justice to the oppressed.
He permitteth not the wicked to live; but he procureth justice for 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 [he placeth them] with kings on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.
8 And if they be bound in fetters, And holden in the cords of affliction,
And if they be bound in fetters, and if they be entangled in the cords of affliction:
9 Then showeth he them their deeds, And how they have set him at defiance by their transgressions;
Then doth he tell them of their work, and of their transgressions, when they had become strong.
10 He also openeth their ears to admonition, And commandeth them to return from iniquity.
And he openeth thus their ear to correction, and saith that they should return from wrong-doing.
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 will spend their days in happiness, 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 will pass away through the sword, and they will perish in want of knowledge.
13 The corrupt in heart treasure up wrath; They cry not to God, when he bindeth them.
But the hypocrites in heart persevere in wrath; they will not offer entreaty when he bindeth them:
14 They die in their youth; They close their lives with the unclean.
Their soul will die in youth, and their life, among the incestuous.
15 But he delivereth the poor in their distress; He openeth their ears in affliction.
He delivereth the afflicted through his affliction, and openeth through oppression his ear.
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 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 But if thou art full of the judgment of the wicked, Judgment and justice shall take hold of thee.
But if thou art full of the judgment of the wicked: [divine] judgment and decree will support each other.
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!
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 Will he esteem thy riches? No! neither thy gold, nor all the abundance of thy wealth.
Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold ore, nor all the highest forces of strength.
20 Long not thou for that night To which nations are taken away from their place.
Desire then not eagerly the night, when nations pass away in their place.
21 Take heed, turn not thine eyes to iniquity! For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.
Take heed, turn not thyself to wrong-doing, so that thou wouldst choose this because of [thy] affliction.
22 Behold, God is exalted in his power: Who is a teacher like him?
Behold, God is exalted by his power: who is an instructer like him?
23 Who hath prescribed to him his way? Or who can say to him, “Thou hast done wrong”?
Who hath given him a charge concerning his way? or who hath ever said, Thou hast acted unjustly?
24 Forget not to magnify his work, Which men celebrate with songs.
Reflect, that thou shouldst magnify his work, which [other] men have beheld.
25 All mankind gaze upon it; Mortals behold it from afar.
All men have looked at it [with astonishment]; the mortal gazeth at it from afar.
26 Behold, God is great; we cannot know him, Nor search out the number of his years.
Behold, God is great, and we comprehend him not, the number of his years can truly not be searched out.
27 Lo! he draweth up the drops of water, Which distil rain from his vapor;
For he taketh away drops of water, which are purified into rain in his mist:
28 The clouds pour it down, And drop it upon man in abundance.
These drop down out of the skies; they distil upon the multitude of men.
29 Who can understand the spreading of his clouds, And the rattling of his pavilion?
But [what man] can understand the outspreadings of the clouds? the tumult of his tabernacle?
30 Behold, he spreadeth around himself his light, And he clotheth himself with the depths of the sea.
Behold, he spreadeth out over it his light, and covereth up the roots of the sea.
31 By these he punisheth nations, And by these he giveth food in abundance.
For by means of them he judgeth nations, he giveth food in superfluity.
32 His hands he covereth with lightning; He giveth it commandment against an enemy.
[His] hands he covereth with light; and he commandeth it to strike the one who striveth against him.
33 His thunder maketh him known; Yea, to the herds, as he ascendeth on high.
The noise of his storm telleth of it, yea, the cattle also, of the rising tempest.
