Job 36
1 And Elihu added and said: —
ELIHU also proceeded, and said,
2 Restrain thyself for me a little, and I will shew thee, that, yet—for GOD, there is justification,
Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on God’s behalf.
3 I will bring my knowledge from afar, and, to my Maker, will I attribute righteousness.
I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For, of a truth—not false, are my words, One of competent knowledge, is with thee.
For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.
5 Lo! GOD, is mighty, yet will he not despise, Mighty in vigour of mind;
Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.
6 He will not keep alive one who is lawless, but, the right of oppressed ones, will he grant;
He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor.
7 He will not withdraw—from a righteous one—his eyes, —but, with kings on the throne, He hath seated men triumphantly, and they have been exalted.
He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.
8 But, if, bound in fetters, they have been captured with cords of affliction,
And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction;
9 Then hath he declared to them their deed, and their transgressions—that they were wont to behave themselves proudly;
Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.
10 Thus hath he uncovered their ear to a warning, and said—that they should turn from iniquity.
He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.
11 If they would hearken, and serve, they should complete their days, in prosperity, and their years, in pleasantness;
If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
12 But, if they would not hearken, by a weapon, should they pass away, and breathe their last, no one knowing.
But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.
13 Yea, the impious in heart, should store up anger, They should not cry for help, when he bound them.
But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them.
14 Their soul should die in youth, and their life, among the unclean.
They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.
15 He would deliver the humbled in his humiliation, and would uncover—in oppression—their ear.
He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.
16 Yea he might even have allured thee—out of the mouth of straitness, [into] a wide space—no narrowness there, —and, the food set down on thy table, should have been full of fatness.
Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.
17 But, with the plea of a lawless one, thou art full, Plea and sentence, will take fast hold.
But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee.
18 Because there is wrath, [beware] lest he take thee away with a stroke, Then let not, a great ransom, mislead thee.
Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.
19 Will he value thy riches? Nay not precious ore, nor all the forces of strength.
Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.
20 Do not pant for the night, when peoples disappear from their place.
Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.
21 Beware, do not turn unto iniquity, For, this, thou hast chosen rather than affliction.
Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.
22 Lo, GOD, exalteth himself by his strength, Who like him doth teach?
Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?
23 Who enjoined on him his way? and who ever said, Thou hast wrought perversity?
Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?
24 Remember, that thou extol his work, of which men have sung;
Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold.
25 Every son of earth, hath viewed it, Mortal man, looketh at it from afar.
Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.
26 Lo, GOD, is greater than we can know, The number of his years, even past finding out!
Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.
27 For he draweth up drops of water, They trickle as rain through his mist;
For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:
28 With which the clouds flow down, They drop on man in abundance.
Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.
29 But surely none can understand the burstings of the cloud, the crashing of his pavilion!
Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?
30 Lo! he hath spread out over it, his lightning, The bed of the sea, hath he covered.
Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
31 For, by those things, he executeth judgment on peoples, He giveth food in abundance:
For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.
32 Upon both hands, he putteth a covering of lightning, and layeth command upon it against an assailant:
With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt.
33 His rolling thunder telleth concerning him, —The cattle, even, concerning him that is coming up.
The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour.
