Job 35-37 (English Standard Version)

Job 35

Elihu Condemns Job

 ¹And Elihu answered and said:
 ²"Do you think this to be just?
   Do you say,^(A) 'It is my right before God,'
³that you ask,^(B) 'What advantage have I?
   How am I better off than if I had sinned?'
⁴I will answer you
   and^(C) your friends with you.
^5(D) Look at the heavens, and see;
   and behold the clouds, which are higher than you.
⁶If you have sinned,^(E) what do you accomplish against him?
   And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
^7(F) If you are righteous, what do you give to him?
   Or what does he receive from your hand?
⁸Your wickedness concerns a man like yourself,
   and your righteousness^(G) a son of man.

 ⁹"Because of the multitude of^(H) oppressions people^(I) cry out;
   they call for help because of the arm of^(J) the mighty.^[a]
10But none says, 'Where is God my^(K) Maker,
   who gives^(L) songs in the night,
¹¹who teaches us^(M) more than the beasts of the earth
   and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?'
¹²There they^(N) cry out, but he does not answer,
   because of the pride of evil men.
¹³Surely God does not hear an empty cry,
   nor does the Almighty regard it.
¹⁴How much less when you say that you^(O) do not see him,
   that the case is before him, and you are^(P) waiting for him!
¹⁵And now, because^(Q) his anger does not punish,
   and he does not take much note of transgression,^[b]
16Job opens his mouth in empty talk;
   he^(R) multiplies words^(S) without knowledge."

Job 36

Elihu Extols God’s Greatness

 ¹And Elihu continued, and said:
 ²"Bear with me a little, and I will show you,
   for I have yet something to say on God’s behalf.
³I will get my knowledge from^(T) afar
   and ascribe^(U) righteousness to my^(V) Maker.
⁴For truly my words are not false;
   one who is^(W) perfect in knowledge is with you.

 ⁵"Behold, God is mighty, and^(X) does not despise any;
   he is^(Y) mighty in strength of understanding.
⁶He does not keep the wicked alive,
   but gives^(Z) the afflicted their right.
⁷He does not withdraw his^(AA) eyes from the righteous,
   but with^(AB) kings on the throne
   he sets them forever, and they are^(AC) exalted.
⁸And if they are^(AD) bound in chains
   and caught in the cords of affliction,
⁹then he declares to them their work
   and their transgressions, that they are^(AE) behaving arrogantly.
¹⁰He^(AF) opens their ears to instruction
   and commands that they^(AG) return from iniquity.
^11(AH) If they listen and serve him,
   they^(AI) complete their days in prosperity,
   and their years in pleasantness.
¹²But if they do not listen, they^(AJ) perish by the sword
   and die^(AK) without knowledge.

 ¹³"The^(AL) godless in heart cherish anger;
   they do not cry for help when he^(AM) binds them.
¹⁴They^(AN) die in youth,
   and their life ends among the cult prostitutes.
¹⁵He delivers^(AO) the afflicted by their affliction
   and^(AP) opens their ear by adversity.
¹⁶He also allured you out of distress
   into^(AQ) a broad place where there was no cramping,
   and what was set on your^(AR) table was full of^(AS) fatness.

 ¹⁷"But you are full of the judgment on the wicked;
   judgment and justice seize you.
¹⁸Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing,
   and let not the greatness of^(AT) the ransom turn you aside.
¹⁹Will your^(AU) cry for help avail to keep you from distress,
   or all the force of your strength?
²⁰Do not long for^(AV) the night,
   when peoples vanish^(AW) in their place.
²¹Take care;^(AX) do not turn to iniquity,
   for this you have chosen rather than affliction.
²²Behold, God is exalted in his power;
   who is^(AY) a teacher like him?
²³Who has^(AZ) prescribed for him his way,
   or who can say,^(BA) 'You have done wrong'?

 ²⁴"Remember to^(BB) extol his work,
   of which men have^(BC) sung.
²⁵All mankind has looked on it;
   man beholds it from afar.
²⁶Behold, God is great, and we^(BD) know him not;
   the number of his^(BE) years is unsearchable.
²⁷For he draws up the drops of water;
   they distill his^(BF) mist in^(BG) rain,
²⁸which^(BH) the skies pour down
   and drop on mankind abundantly.
²⁹Can anyone understand^(BI) the spreading of the clouds,
   the thunderings of his^(BJ) pavilion?
³⁰Behold, he scatters his lightning about him
   and covers the roots of the sea.
³¹For by these he^(BK) judges peoples;
   he gives^(BL) food in abundance.
³²He covers his^(BM) hands with the lightning
   and commands it to strike the mark.
³³Its crashing declares his presence;^[c]
   the cattle also declare that he rises.

Job 37

Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty

 ¹"At this also my heart trembles
   and leaps out of its place.
²Keep listening to the thunder of his voice
   and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
³Under the whole heaven he lets it go,
   and his^(BN) lightning to the^(BO) corners of the earth.
⁴After it^(BP) his voice roars;
   ^(BQ) he thunders with his majestic voice,
   and he does not restrain the lightnings^[d] when his voice is heard.
⁵God thunders wondrously with his voice;
   he does^(BR) great things that we cannot^(BS) comprehend.
⁶For to^(BT) the snow he says, 'Fall on the earth,'
   likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour.
⁷He^(BU) seals up the hand of every man,
   that all men whom he made may^(BV) know it.
⁸Then the beasts go into their^(BW) lairs,
   and remain in their^(BX) dens.
⁹From^(BY) its chamber^(BZ) comes the whirlwind,
   and^(CA) cold from the scattering winds.
¹⁰By the breath of God^(CB) ice is given,
   and^(CC) the broad waters are frozen fast.
¹¹He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
   the clouds scatter his lightning.
¹²They^(CD) turn around and around by his^(CE) guidance,
   ^(CF) to accomplish all that he commands them
   on the face of the habitable world.
¹³Whether for^(CG) correction or for his^(CH) land
   or for^(CI) love, he causes it to happen.

 ¹⁴"Hear this, O Job;
   stop and^(CJ) consider the wondrous works of God.
¹⁵Do you know how God lays his command upon them
   and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
¹⁶Do you know the balancings^[e] of the clouds,
   the wondrous works of him who is^(CK) perfect in knowledge,
¹⁷you whose garments are hot
   when the earth is still because of the south wind?
¹⁸Can you, like him,^(CL) spread out the skies,
   hard as a cast metal^(CM) mirror?
¹⁹Teach us what we shall say to him;
   we cannot draw up our case because of^(CN) darkness.
²⁰Shall it be told him that I would speak?
   Did a man ever wish that he would be swallowed up?

 ²¹"And now no one looks on the light
   when it is bright in the skies,
   when the wind has passed and cleared them.
²²Out of the north comes golden splendor;
   God is clothed with^(CO) awesome majesty.
²³The Almighty—we^(CP) cannot find him;
   he is^(CQ) great in power;
   ^(CR) justice and abundant righteousness he will not^(CS) violate.
²⁴Therefore men^(CT) fear him;
   he does not regard any who are^(CU) wise in their own conceit."^[f]