< Job 36 >

1 Elihu also proceeded, and said:
And Elihu adds and says:
2 Bear with me a little while, that I may show thee! For I have yet words in behalf of God.
“Honor me a little, and I show you, That yet for God [are] words.
3 I will bring my knowledge from afar, And assert the justice of my Maker.
I lift up my knowledge from afar, And I ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 Truly my words shall not be false: A man of sound knowledge is before thee.
For my words [are] truly not false, The perfect in knowledge [is] with you.
5 Behold, God is great, but despiseth not any; Great is he in strength of understanding.
Behold, God [is] mighty, and does not despise, Mighty [in] power [and] heart.
6 He suffereth not the wicked to prosper, But rendereth justice to the oppressed.
He does not revive the wicked, And appoints 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 does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous, And [from] kings on the throne, And causes them to sit forever, and they are high,
8 And if they be bound in fetters, And holden in the cords of affliction,
And if prisoners in chains They are captured with cords of affliction,
9 Then showeth he them their deeds, And how they have set him at defiance by their transgressions;
Then He declares to them their work, And their transgressions, Because they have become mighty,
10 He also openeth their ears to admonition, And commandeth them to return from iniquity.
And He uncovers their ear for instruction, And commands that they turn back from iniquity.
11 If they obey and serve him, They spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures.
If they hear and serve, They complete their days in good, And their years in pleasantness.
12 But if they obey not, they perish by the sword; They die in their own folly.
And if they do not listen, They pass away by the dart, And expire without knowledge.
13 The corrupt in heart treasure up wrath; They cry not to God, when he bindeth them.
And the profane in heart set the face, They do not cry when He has bound them.
14 They die in their youth; They close their lives with the unclean.
Their soul dies in youth, And their life among the defiled.
15 But he delivereth the poor in their distress; He openeth their ears in affliction.
He draws out the afflicted in his affliction, And uncovers their ear in 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.
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.
17 But if thou art full of the judgment of the wicked, Judgment and justice shall take hold of thee.
And you have fulfilled the judgment of the wicked, Judgment and justice are upheld because of fury,
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!
Lest He move you with a stroke, And the abundance of an atonement not turn you aside.
19 Will he esteem thy riches? No! neither thy gold, nor all the abundance of thy wealth.
Does He value your riches? He has gold, and all the forces of power.
20 Long not thou for that night To which nations are taken away from their place.
Do not desire the night, For the going up of peoples in their stead.
21 Take heed, turn not thine eyes to iniquity! For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.
Take heed—do not turn to iniquity, For you have fixed on this Rather than [on] affliction.
22 Behold, God is exalted in his power: Who is a teacher like him?
Behold, God sits on high by His power, Who [is] like Him—a teacher?
23 Who hath prescribed to him his way? Or who can say to him, “Thou hast done wrong”?
Who has appointed to Him His way? And who said, You have done iniquity?
24 Forget not to magnify his work, Which men celebrate with songs.
Remember that you magnify His work That men have beheld.
25 All mankind gaze upon it; Mortals behold it from afar.
All men have looked on it, Man looks attentively from afar.
26 Behold, God is great; we cannot know him, Nor search out the number of his years.
Behold, God [is] high, And we do not know the number of His years, Indeed, there [is] no searching.
27 Lo! he draweth up the drops of water, Which distil rain from his vapor;
When He diminishes droppings of the waters, They refine rain according to its vapor,
28 The clouds pour it down, And drop it upon man in abundance.
Which clouds drop, They distill on man abundantly.
29 Who can understand the spreading of his clouds, And the rattling of his pavilion?
Indeed, do [any] understand The spreadings out of a cloud? The noises of His dwelling place?
30 Behold, he spreadeth around himself his light, And he clotheth himself with the depths of the sea.
Behold, He has spread His light over it, And He has covered the roots of the sea,
31 By these he punisheth nations, And by these he giveth food in abundance.
For He judges peoples by them, He gives food in abundance.
32 His hands he covereth with lightning; He giveth it commandment against an enemy.
By two palms He has covered the light, And lays a charge over it in meeting,
33 His thunder maketh him known; Yea, to the herds, as he ascendeth on high.
His shout shows it, The livestock also, the rising [storm].”

< Job 36 >