איוב 36

1 ויסף אליהוא ויאמר׃

Elihu continued on and said,

2 כתר לי זעיר ואחוך כי עוד לאלוה מלים׃

“Permit me to speak a little longer, and I will show you some things because I have a little more to say in defense of God.

3 אשא דעי למרחוק ולפעלי אתן צדק׃

I will obtain my knowledge from far off; I will acknowledge that righteousness belongs to my Maker.

4 כי אמנם לא שקר מלי תמים דעות עמך׃

For indeed, my words will not be false; someone who is mature in knowledge is with you.

5 הן אל כביר ולא ימאס כביר כח לב׃

See, God is mighty, and despises no one; he is mighty in strength of understanding.

6 לא יחיה רשע ומשפט עניים יתן׃

He does not preserve the life of wicked people but instead does what is right for those who suffer.

7 לא יגרע מצדיק עיניו ואת מלכים לכסא וישיבם לנצח ויגבהו׃

He does not withdraw his eyes from righteous people but instead sets them on thrones like kings forever, and they are lifted up.

8 ואם אסורים בזקים ילכדון בחבלי עני׃

If they are bound in chains and trapped in cords of suffering,

9 ויגד להם פעלם ופשעיהם כי יתגברו׃

then he reveals to them what they have done, and their transgressions and their pride.

10 ויגל אזנם למוסר ויאמר כי ישבון מאון׃

He also opens their ears to his instruction, and commands them to turn back from iniquity.

11 אם ישמעו ויעבדו יכלו ימיהם בטוב ושניהם בנעימים׃

If they listen to him and worship him, they will spend their days in prosperity, their years in contentment.

12 ואם לא ישמעו בשלח יעברו ויגועו בבלי דעת׃

However, if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword; they will die because they have no knowledge.

13 וחנפי לב ישימו אף לא ישועו כי אסרם׃

Those who are godless in heart store up their anger; they do not cry out for help even when God ties them up.

14 תמת בנער נפשם וחיתם בקדשים׃

They die in their youth; their lives end among the cultic prostitutes.

15 יחלץ עני בעניו ויגל בלחץ אזנם׃

God rescues afflicted people by means of their afflictions; he opens their ears by means of their oppression.

16 ואף הסיתך מפי צר רחב לא מוצק תחתיה ונחת שלחנך מלא דשן׃

Indeed, he would like to draw you out of distress into a broad place where there is no hardship and where your table would be set with food full of fatness.

17 ודין רשע מלאת דין ומשפט יתמכו׃

But you are full of judgment on wicked people; judgment and justice have laid hold of you.

18 כי חמה פן יסיתך בספק ורב כפר אל יטך׃

Do not let your anger entice you to mockery, or the greatness of a ransom to turn you aside.

19 היערך שועך לא בצר וכל מאמצי כח׃

Can your wealth benefit you, so that you will not be in distress, or can all the force of your strength help you?

20 אל תשאף הלילה לעלות עמים תחתם׃

Do not desire the night, to commit sin against others, when peoples are cut off in their place.

21 השמר אל תפן אל און כי על זה בחרת מעני׃

Be careful that you do not turn to sin because you are being tested by suffering so that you will stay away from sinning.

22 הן אל ישגיב בכחו מי כמהו מורה׃

See, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him?

23 מי פקד עליו דרכו ומי אמר פעלת עולה׃

Who has ever instructed him about his way? Who can ever say to him, 'You have committed unrighteousness?'

24 זכר כי תשגיא פעלו אשר שררו אנשים׃

Remember to praise his deeds, of which people have sung.

25 כל אדם חזו בו אנוש יביט מרחוק׃

All people have looked on those deeds, but they see those deeds only from far away.

26 הן אל שגיא ולא נדע מספר שניו ולא חקר׃

See, God is great, but we do not understand him well; the number of his years is incalculable.

27 כי יגרע נטפי מים יזקו מטר לאדו׃

For he draws up the drops of water that he distills as rain from his vapor,

28 אשר יזלו שחקים ירעפו עלי אדם רב׃

which the clouds pour down and drop in abundance on mankind.

29 אף אם יבין מפרשי עב תשאות סכתו׃

Indeed, can anyone understand the extensive spread of the clouds and the thunder from his hut?

30 הן פרש עליו אורו ושרשי הים כסה׃

See, he spreads his lightning around him and covers the roots of the sea.

31 כי בם ידין עמים יתן אכל למכביר׃

In this way he judges the peoples and gives food in abundance.

32 על כפים כסה אור ויצו עליה במפגיע׃

He fills his hands with the lightning until he commands it to strike its mark.

33 יגיד עליו רעו מקנה אף על עולה׃

Its thunder warns of the storm, the cattle can also hear it is coming.