Job 36

1 Elihu [finished by] saying this:

And Elihu proceeded and said,

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].

Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet words for God.

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

I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Creator.

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].

For truly my words shall be no falsehood: one perfect in knowledge is with thee.

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

Lo, God is mighty, but despiseth not [any]; mighty in strength of understanding:

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

He saveth not the wicked alive; but he doeth justice to the afflicted.

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.

He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne doth he even set them for ever; and they are exalted.

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

And if, bound in fetters, they be held in cords of affliction,

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.

Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions, because they have increased.

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.

And he openeth their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.

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.

If they hearken and serve [him], they shall accomplish their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

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

But if they hearken not, they shall pass away by the sword, and expire without knowledge.

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

But the godless in heart heap up anger; they cry not when he bindeth them:

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

Their soul dieth in youth, and their life is among the unclean.

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.

But he delivereth the afflicted in his affliction, and openeth their ear in [their] oppression.

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.

Even so would he have allured thee out of the jaws of distress into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and the supply of thy table [would be] full of fatness.

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

But thou art full of the judgments of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold [on thee].

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

Because there is wrath, [beware] lest it take thee away through chastisement: then a great ransom could not avail thee.

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.

Will he esteem thy riches? Not gold, nor all the resources of strength!

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!

Desire not the night, when peoples are cut off from their place.

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

Take heed, turn not to iniquity; for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

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

Lo, God is exalted in his power: who teacheth as he?

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!’

Who hath appointed him his way? or who hath said, Thou hast wrought unrighteousness?

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

Remember that thou magnify his work, which men celebrate.

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

All men look at it; man beholdeth [it] afar off.

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.

Lo, God is great, and we comprehend [him] not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.

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

For he draweth up the drops of water: they distil in rain from the vapour which he formeth,

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

Which the skies pour down [and] drop upon man abundantly.

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

But can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, [or] the crashing of his pavilion?

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

Lo, he spreadeth his light around him, and covereth the bottom of the sea.

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

For with them he judgeth the peoples; he giveth food in abundance.

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

[His] hands he covereth with lightning, and commandeth it where it is to strike.

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

His thundering declareth concerning him; the cattle even, concerning its coming.