Job 36
1 And Elihu addeth and saith: —
Elihu also proceeded, and said,
2 Honour me a little, and I shew thee, That yet for God [are] words.
Bear with me a little, and I will show thee that I have yet to speak on God’s behalf.
3 I lift up my knowledge from afar, And to my Maker I ascribe righteousness.
I will bring my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For, truly, my words [are] not false, The perfect in 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, and despiseth not, Mighty [in] power [and] heart.
Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.
6 He reviveth not the wicked, And the judgment of the poor appointeth;
He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor.
7 He withdraweth not from the righteous His eyes, And [from] kings on the throne, And causeth them to sit for ever, and they are high,
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 And if prisoners in fetters They are captured with cords of affliction,
And if they are bound in fetters, and are held in cords of affliction;
9 Then He declareth to them their work, And their transgressions, Because they have become mighty,
Then he showeth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.
10 And He uncovereth their ear for instruction, And saith that they turn back from iniquity.
He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.
11 If they do hear and serve, They complete their days in good, And their years in pleasantness.
If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
12 And if they do not hearken, By the dart they pass away, And expire without knowledge.
But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.
13 And the profane in heart set the face, They cry not when He hath bound them.
But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them.
14 Their soul dieth in youth, And their life among the defiled.
They die in youth, and their life is among the sodomites.
15 He draweth out the afflicted in his affliction, And uncovereth in oppression their ear.
He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.
16 And also He moved thee from a strait place, [To] a broad place — no straitness under it, And the sitting beyond of thy table Hath been full of fatness.
Even so would he have removed thee out of distress into a broad place, where there is no restraint; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.
17 And the judgment of the wicked thou hast fulfilled, Judgment and justice are upheld — because of fury,
But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee.
18 Lest He move thee with a stroke, And the abundance of an atonement turn thee not aside.
Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.
19 Doth He value thy riches? He hath gold, and all the forces of power.
Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.
20 Desire not the night, For the going up of peoples in their stead.
Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.
21 Take heed — do not turn unto iniquity, For on this thou hast fixed Rather than [on] affliction.
Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.
22 Lo, God doth sit on high by His power, Who [is] like Him — a teacher?
Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?
23 Who hath appointed unto Him his way? And who said, 'Thou hast done iniquity?'
Who hath directed him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?
24 Remember that thou magnify His work That men have beheld.
Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold.
25 All men have looked on it, Man looketh attentively from afar.
Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.
26 Lo, God [is] high, And we know not the number of His years, Yea, there [is] no searching.
Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.
27 When He doth diminish droppings of the waters, They refine rain according to its vapour,
For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour of it:
28 Which clouds do drop, They distil on man abundantly.
Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.
29 Yea, doth [any] understand The spreadings out of a cloud? The noises of His tabernacle?
Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?
30 Lo, He hath spread over it His light, And the roots of the sea He hath covered,
Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
31 For by them He doth judge peoples, He giveth food in abundance.
For by them he judgeth the people; he giveth food in abundance.
32 By two palms He hath covered the light, And layeth a charge over it in meeting,
With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh between.
33 He sheweth by it [to] his friend substance, Anger against perversity.
The noise of it showeth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour.
