Job 36

1 Elihu [finished by] saying this:

2 “[Job, ] be patient with me a little longer, because I have something else to teach you. I have something else to say that God [wants you to know].

3 I will tell you what I have learned from many sources, in order to show that God, my creator, is just/fair.

4 I am not saying anything to you that is false; I, who am standing in front of you, am someone who understands things (very well/perfectly) [HYP].

5 “Hey, God is [very] powerful, and he does not despise anyone, and he understands everything.

6 He does not allow wicked people to remain alive, and he always acts justly toward those who are poor.

7 He always watches over [MTY] those who are righteous; he allows them to sit on thrones [and rule] with kings, and they are honored forever.

8 But if people [who commit crimes] are caught, they [are thrown into prison and] are caused to suffer by being fastened with chains.

9 When that happens, God shows them what they have done; he shows them the sins that they have committed, and he shows them that they have been proud/arrogant.

10 He causes them to listen [MTY] to what he is warning them, and he commands them to turn away from [doing what is] evil.

11 If they (listen to/heed) him and serve him, [after they get out of prison] they will prosper for all the years that they are alive and be peaceful/happy.

12 But if they do not (listen/pay attention) to him, they will die violently, not knowing [why God is causing them to die].

13 “Godless/Wicked people continue being angry, and they do not cry out for help, [even] when God is punishing them.

14 They die while they are still young, disgraced because of their very immoral behavior [EUP].

15 But God teaches people by causing them to suffer; by afflicting them, he causes them to listen to [MTY] what he is telling them.

16 “And Job, [I think that] God [wants to] bring you out of your troubles and allow you to live without distress; he wants your table to be full of very nice food.

17 But now, you are being punished [MTY] as wicked people are punished; [God] [PRS] has been punishing you (justly/as you deserve).

18 So be careful that you are not deceived by [desiring to acquire] money or that you are not ruined by [accepting] large bribes.

19 [If you are deceived by those things, ] it certainly will not [RHQ] help you to cry out when you are distressed; all of your strength will not help you.

20 Do not wish that it would be nighttime [in order that God will not see you and punish you], because night is the time when [even] people-groups are destroyed!

21 Be careful not to [begin doing] evil things, because [God] has caused you to suffer to prevent you from doing evil.

22 “Hey, God is extremely powerful; there is certainly [RHQ] no teacher who teaches like he does.

23 No one has [RHQ] told him what he should do, and no one has [RHQ] said to him, ‘You have done what is wrong!’

24 People have [always] sung to praise him, so you also should never forget to praise him for what he has done.

25 Everyone has seen [what he has done], but [sometimes] we can see it only from far away.

26 “Hey, God is very great, and we are not able to know how great he is, and we do not know how old he is.

27 He draws water up [from the earth and puts it in clouds] and causes it to become rain.

28 The rain pours down from the sky/clouds; God causes abundant showers to fall on everyone.

29 No one can [RHQ] understand how the clouds move [across the sky] or how it thunders in the sky where God lives.

30 He causes lightning to flash all around him, but he causes the bottom of the oceans to remain dark.

31 By providing plenty of rain for us, he enables us to have abundant food.

32 [It is as though] he holds the lightning in his hands, and [then] he commands it to strike where he wants it to.

33 When we hear his thunder, we know that there will be a storm, and the cattle know it, too.”