Job 35-38
New American Standard Bible
Elihu Sharply Rebukes Job
35 Then Elihu continued and said,
2 “Do you think this is in accordance with (A)justice?
Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
3 For you say, ‘(B)What advantage will it be to [a]You?
(C)What benefit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’
4 I will answer you,
And your friends with you.
5 (D)Look at the heavens and see;
And look at (E)the clouds—they are higher than you.
6 If you have sinned, (F)what do you accomplish against Him?
And if your wrongdoings are many, what do you do to Him?
7 If you are righteous, (G)what do you give to Him,
Or what does He receive from your hand?
8 Your wickedness is for a man like yourself,
And your righteousness is for a son of man.
9 “Because of the (H)multitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry for help because of the arm (I)of the mighty.
10 But (J)no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
Who (K)gives songs in the night,
11 Who (L)teaches us more than the animals of the earth
And makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?’
12 There (M)they cry out, but He does not answer
Because of the pride of evil people.
13 (N)God certainly will not listen to [b]an empty cry,
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
14 How much less when (O)you say you do not look at Him,
The (P)case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!
15 And now, because He has not avenged His anger,
Nor has He acknowledged [c]wrongdoing well,
16 So Job opens his mouth with empty words;
He multiplies words (Q)without knowledge.”
Elihu Speaks of God’s Dealings with Mankind
36 Then Elihu continued and said,
2 “Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there [d]is still more to be said on God’s behalf.
3 I will bring my knowledge from afar,
And ascribe (R)righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly (S)my words are not false;
One who is (T)perfect in knowledge is with you.
5 Behold, God is mighty but does not (U)reject anyone;
He is (V)mighty in strength of understanding.
6 He does not (W)keep the wicked alive,
But gives justice to (X)the afflicted.
7 He does not (Y)withdraw His eyes from the righteous,
But (Z)with kings on the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
8 And if they are bound in shackles,
And are caught in the snares of (AA)misery,
9 Then He declares to them their work
And their wrongdoings, that they have (AB)been arrogant.
10 (AC)He opens their ears to instruction,
And (AD)commands that they return from injustice.
11 If they listen and serve Him,
They will (AE)end their days in prosperity,
And their years in (AF)happiness.
12 But if they do not listen, they will [e]perish (AG)by the sword,
And (AH)die without knowledge.
13 But the godless in heart nurture anger;
They do not call for help when He binds them.
14 [f]They die in youth,
And their life perishes among the (AI)cult prostitutes.
15 He rescues the afflicted in [g]their (AJ)misery,
And (AK)opens their ears in time of oppression.
16 Then indeed, He induced you away from the mouth of distress,
And instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;
And your table was full of [h]rich food.
17 “But you were full of (AL)judgment on the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 Beware that (AM)wrath does not entice you to mockery;
And do not let the greatness of the (AN)ransom turn you aside.
19 Will your cry for help keep you from distress,
Or all the exertions of your strength?
20 Do not long for (AO)the night,
When people [i]vanish in their places.
21 Be careful, do (AP)not turn to evil,
For you preferred this to (AQ)misery.
22 Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a (AR)teacher like Him?
23 Who has appointed Him His way,
And who has said, ‘(AS)You have done wrong’?
24 “Remember that you are to (AT)exalt His work,
Of which people have (AU)sung.
25 All people have seen it;
Mankind looks at it from afar.
26 Behold, God is (AV)exalted, and (AW)we do not know Him;
The (AX)number of His years is unsearchable.
27 For (AY)He draws up the drops of water;
They distill rain from its [j]celestial stream,
28 Which clouds pour down;
They drip upon mankind abundantly.
29 Can anyone understand the (AZ)spreading of the clouds,
The (BA)thundering of His [k]pavilion?
30 Behold, He spreads His [l]lightning about Him,
And He covers the depths of the sea.
31 For by them He (BB)judges peoples;
He (BC)gives food in abundance.
32 He covers His hands with the [m]lightning,
And (BD)commands it to strike the target.
33 Its (BE)thundering voice declares [n]His presence;
The livestock also, concerning what is coming up.
Elihu Says God Has Authority Over the Storm
37 “At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
2 Listen closely to the (BF)thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
3 Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His [o]lightning travels to the (BG)ends of the earth.
4 After it, a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain [p]the lightning when His voice is heard.
5 God (BH)thunders wondrously with His voice,
Doing (BI)great things which we do not comprehend.
6 For to (BJ)the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the [q](BK)downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’
7 He (BL)seals the hand of every person,
So that (BM)all people may know His work.
8 Then the animal goes into its (BN)lair
And remains in its [r]den.
9 From the [s](BO)south comes the storm,
And from the north wind the cold.
10 From the breath of God (BP)ice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
11 He also (BQ)loads the clouds with moisture;
He (BR)disperses (BS)the cloud of His [t]lightning.
12 It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That [u]it may do whatever He (BT)commands [v]it
On the (BU)face of the inhabited earth.
13 Whether for [w](BV)correction, or for (BW)His earth,
Or for (BX)goodness, He causes it to [x]happen.
14 “Listen to this, Job;
Stand and consider the wonders of God.
15 Do you know how God establishes them,
And makes the [y]lightning of His clouds to shine?
16 Do you know about the hovering of the clouds,
The (BY)wonders of One who is (BZ)perfect in knowledge,
17 You whose garments are hot
When the land is still because of the south wind?
18 Can you, with Him, (CA)spread out the skies,
Strong as a cast metal mirror?
19 Teach us what we are to say to Him;
We (CB)cannot present our case because of darkness.
20 Shall it be told Him that I would speak?
[z]Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?
21 “Now people do not see the light which is bright in the skies;
But the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 From the north comes golden splendor;
Around God is awesome majesty.
23 The Almighty—(CC)we cannot find Him;
He is (CD)exalted in power
And (CE)He will not violate (CF)justice and abundant righteousness.
24 Therefore people (CG)fear Him;
He does not (CH)regard any who are wise of heart.”
God Speaks Now to Job
38 Then the Lord (CI)answered Job from the whirlwind and said,
2 “Who is this who (CJ)darkens the divine plan
By words without knowledge?
3 Now [aa](CK)tighten the belt on your waist like a man,
And (CL)I shall ask you, and you inform Me!
4 Where were you (CM)when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you [ab]have understanding,
5 Who set its (CN)measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the measuring line over it?
6 On what (CO)were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together
And all the (CP)sons of God shouted for joy?
8 “Or who (CQ)enclosed the sea with doors
When it went out from the womb, bursting forth;
9 When I made a cloud its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling bands,
10 And I [ac](CR)placed boundaries on it
And set a bolt and doors,
11 And I said, ‘As far as this point you shall come, but no farther;
And here your proud waves shall stop’?
God’s Mighty Power
12 “Have you [ad]ever in your life commanded the morning,
And made the dawn know its place,
13 So that it would take hold of (CS)the ends of the earth,
And (CT)the wicked would be shaken off from it?
14 It is changed like clay under the seal;
And they stand out like a garment.
15 (CU)Their light is withheld from the wicked,
And the (CV)uplifted arm is broken.
16 “Have you entered (CW)the springs of the sea,
And walked [ae]in the depth of the ocean?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
And have you seen the gates of (CX)deep darkness?
18 Have you understood the [af]expanse of (CY)the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.
19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
20 That you would take it to (CZ)its territory,
And discern the paths to its [ag]home?
21 You know, for (DA)you were born then,
And the number of your days is great!
22 Have you entered the storehouses (DB)of the snow,
And have you seen the storehouses of the (DC)hail,
23 Which I have reserved for a time of distress,
For a day of war and battle?
24 Where is the way that (DD)the light is divided,
And the east wind scattered on the earth?
25 “Who has split open a channel for the flood,
And a way for the thunderbolt,
26 To bring (DE)rain on a land without [ah]people,
On a desert without a person in it,
27 To (DF)satisfy the waste and desolate land,
And to make the [ai]seeds of grass to sprout?
28 Does (DG)the rain have a father?
Or who has fathered the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb has come the (DH)ice?
And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?
30 Water [aj]becomes hard like stone,
And the surface of the deep is imprisoned.
31 “Can you tie up the chains of the (DI)Pleiades,
Or untie the cords of Orion?
32 Can you bring out a [ak]constellation in its season,
And guide the Bear with her [al]satellites?
33 Do you know the (DJ)ordinances of the heavens,
Or do you establish their rule over the earth?
34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds,
So that an (DK)abundance of water will cover you?
35 Can you (DL)send flashes of lightning, so that they may go
And say to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who has (DM)put wisdom in the innermost being,
Or given (DN)understanding to the [am]mind?
37 Who can count the clouds by wisdom,
And (DO)pour out the water jars of the heavens,
38 When the dust hardens into a mass
And the clods stick together?
39 “Can you hunt the (DP)prey for the lioness,
Or satisfy the appetite of young lions,
40 When they (DQ)crouch in their hiding places,
And lie in wait in their lair?
41 Who prepares [an]feed for (DR)the raven
When its young cry to God,
And wander about without food?
Footnotes
- Job 35:3 Or me
- Job 35:13 Or falsehood
- Job 35:15 Or arrogance
- Job 36:2 Lit are yet words for God
- Job 36:12 Lit pass away
- Job 36:14 Lit Their soul dies
- Job 36:15 Lit his
- Job 36:16 Or fatness
- Job 36:20 Lit go up
- Job 36:27 Or mist
- Job 36:29 Lit booth
- Job 36:30 Lit light
- Job 36:32 Lit light
- Job 36:33 Lit concerning Him
- Job 37:3 Lit light
- Job 37:4 Lit them
- Job 37:6 Lit shower of rain and shower of rains
- Job 37:8 Lit dens
- Job 37:9 Lit chamber
- Job 37:11 Lit light
- Job 37:12 Lit they
- Job 37:12 Lit them
- Job 37:13 Lit the rod
- Job 37:13 Lit be found
- Job 37:15 Lit light
- Job 37:20 Or If a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up
- Job 38:3 I.e., as if for battle
- Job 38:4 Lit know understanding
- Job 38:10 Lit broke My decree on it
- Job 38:12 Lit from your days commanded
- Job 38:16 Or in search of the deep
- Job 38:18 Or width
- Job 38:20 Lit house
- Job 38:26 Lit man
- Job 38:27 Or growth
- Job 38:30 Lit hides itself like
- Job 38:32 Heb Mazzaroth
- Job 38:32 Lit sons
- Job 38:36 Or rooster
- Job 38:41 Lit its feed
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