Job 36

1 Elihu also proceeded, and said:

2 Bear with me a little while, that I may show thee! For I have yet words in behalf of God.

3 I will bring my knowledge from afar, And assert the justice of my Maker.

4 Truly my words shall not be false: A man of sound knowledge is before thee.

5 Behold, God is great, but despiseth not any; Great is he in strength of understanding.

6 He suffereth not the wicked to prosper, But rendereth justice to the oppressed.

7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous; But establisheth them for ever with kings on the throne, That they may be exalted.

8 And if they be bound in fetters, And holden in the cords of affliction,

9 Then showeth he them their deeds, And how they have set him at defiance by their transgressions;

10 He also openeth their ears to admonition, And commandeth them to return from iniquity.

11 If they obey and serve him, They spend 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.

13 The corrupt in heart treasure up wrath; They cry not to God, when he bindeth them.

14 They die in their youth; They close their lives with the unclean.

15 But he delivereth the poor in their distress; He openeth their ears in affliction.

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.

17 But if thou art full of the judgment of the wicked, Judgment and justice shall take hold of 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!

19 Will he esteem thy riches? No! neither thy gold, nor all the abundance of thy wealth.

20 Long not thou for that night To which nations are taken away from their place.

21 Take heed, turn not thine eyes to iniquity! For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

22 Behold, God is exalted in his power: Who is a teacher like him?

23 Who hath prescribed to him his way? Or who can say to him, “Thou hast done wrong”?

24 Forget not to magnify his work, Which men celebrate with songs.

25 All mankind gaze upon it; Mortals behold it from afar.

26 Behold, God is great; we cannot know him, Nor search out the number of his years.

27 Lo! he draweth up the drops of water, Which distil rain from his vapor;

28 The clouds pour it down, And drop it upon man in abundance.

29 Who can understand the spreading of his clouds, And the rattling of his pavilion?

30 Behold, he spreadeth around himself his light, And he clotheth himself with the depths of the sea.

31 By these he punisheth nations, And by these he giveth food in abundance.

32 His hands he covereth with lightning; He giveth it commandment against an enemy.

33 His thunder maketh him known; Yea, to the herds, as he ascendeth on high.