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Job 36
Common English Bible
Job 36
Common English Bible
Reason for continuing
36 Continuing, Elihu said,
2 Wait a little while so I can demonstrate for you
that there is still something more to say about God.
3 I will draw from my broad knowledge,
attribute justice to my maker.
4 My words are certainly truthful;
one with total knowledge is present with you.
Divine discipline
5 Look, God is mighty and doesn’t reject anyone;
he is mighty in strength and mind.
6 He doesn’t let the wicked live,
but grants justice to the poor.
7 He doesn’t avert his eyes from the righteous;
he seats kings on thrones forever,
and they are lifted up.
8 If they are tied with ropes,
caught in cords of affliction,
9 he informs them about their offenses
and their grave sins.
10 He opens their ears with discipline
and commands them to turn from wrong.
11 If they listen and serve,
they spend their days in plenty,
their years contentedly.
12 But if they don’t listen,
they perish by the sword,
breathe their last without understanding.
13 Those with impious hearts become furious;
they don’t cry out even though he binds them.
14 They die young;
they are among the holy ones.
15 He saves the weak in their affliction,
opens their ears through oppression.
16 Surely he draws you up from the brink of trouble
to a wide place without distress;
your table is set with rich food.
17 You are overly concerned about the case of the wicked;
justice will be upheld in it.
18 Don’t let them lure you with wealth;
don’t let a huge bribe mislead you.
19 Will he arrange your rescue from distress
or from all your exertions of strength?
20 Don’t wish for the night
when people vanish from their place.
21 Take care; don’t turn to evil
because you’ve chosen it over affliction.
22 Look, God is inaccessible due to his power;
who is a teacher like him?
23 Who has repaid him for his action,
and who would ever say, “You’ve done wrong”?
24 Remember to praise his work
that all of us have seen.
25 Every person has seen him;
people can observe at great distance.
God’s control of the storm
26 Look, God is exalted and unknowable;
the number of his years is beyond counting.
27 He draws up drops of water
that distill rain from his flood;
28 the clouds pour moisture
and drip continually on humans.
29 Even if one perceives a spreading cloud
and the thunder of his pavilion,[a]
30 look how he spreads lightning across it
and covers the seabed;
31 for by water[b] he judges peoples
and gives food in abundance.
32 He conceals lightning in his palms
and orders it to its target.
33 His thunder announces it;
even cattle proclaim its rising.
Job 36
Lexham English Bible
Job 36
Lexham English Bible
Elihu Extols God’s Greatness
36 Then[a] Elihu continued and said,
2 “Bear with me a little longer, and I will explain,[b]
for I still have something to say on God’s behalf.[c]
3 I will bring my knowledge from far away,
and I will ascribe righteousness to my maker,
4 for truly my words[d] are not falsehood;
one who has perfect knowledge is with you.[e]
5 Look, God is mighty but[f] does not despise anyone;
he is mighty and good in understanding.[g]
6 He does not keep the wicked alive
but[h] grants justice to the afflicted.
7 He does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous,
but[i] he sets them forever with kings on the throne, and they are exalted.
8 “And if they are tied up with fetters,
if they are caught in the cords of misery,
9 then[j] he declares their work to them,
and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly.
10 So[k] he opens their ear to the discipline,
and he commands that they return from mischief.
11 If they listen and serve him,
they complete their days in prosperity and their years in pleasantness.
12 But[l] if they do not listen, they perish by the sword,
and they pass away without knowledge.
13 And the godless of heart cherish anger;
they do not cry for help when he binds them.
14 They die in their youth,[m]
and their life ends among the male shrine prostitutes.
15 He delivers the afflicted by his misery,
and he opens their ears by the adversity.
16 And what’s more, he allured you out of distress[n]
into a broad place, where in place of it was no constraint;
and what was set on your table is full of fatness.
17 But[o] you are obsessed with the judgment of the wicked;
judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 Yes,[p] it is wrath, so that it will not incite you into mockery;
and do not let the ransom’s greatness turn you aside.
19 Will your cry for help sustain you without distress,
or[q] all the efforts of your strength?
20 You must not long for the night,
to cut off people in their place.[r]
21 Take care, you must not turn to mischief,
for because of this you have been tried by misery.
22 “Look, God is exalted in his power;
who is a teacher like him?
23 Who has prescribed his way for him?
Or[s] who says, ‘You have done wrong’?
24 Remember that you should extol his work,
of which people have sung.
25 All human beings have looked on it;
everyone watches from afar.
26 “Look, God is exalted, and we do not know him;
the number of his years is unsearchable.
27 Indeed, he draws up the drops of water;
he distills the rain into its mist,
28 which the clouds pour down;
they shower abundantly on human beings.
29 “Moreover, can anyone understand[t] the spreading of clouds,
the thundering of his dwelling place?
30 Look, he scatters his lightning around him,
and he covers the roots of the sea.
31 Indeed, he judges people by them;
he gives food in abundance.[u]
32 He covers his hands with lightning,
and he commands it the place at which to strike.
33 His thundering tells about him;
the livestock also tell concerning what rises.[v]
Footnotes
- Job 36:1 Hebrew “And”
- Job 36:2 Literally “I will show you”
- Job 36:2 Literally “yet on behalf of God words/sentences”
- Job 36:4 Or “what I have to say”
- Job 36:4 In other words, “Somebody who knows what he is talking about is addressing you”
- Job 36:5 Hebrew “and”
- Job 36:5 Literally “strength of heart”
- Job 36:6 Hebrew “and”
- Job 36:7 Hebrew “and”
- Job 36:9 Hebrew “and”
- Job 36:10 Hebrew “And”
- Job 36:12 Hebrew “And”
- Job 36:14 Literally “It dies in the youth of their self”
- Job 36:16 Literally “from the mouth of distress”
- Job 36:17 Hebrew “And”
- Job 36:18 Or “Indeed”
- Job 36:19 Hebrew “and”
- Job 36:20 Literally “in place of them”
- Job 36:23 Hebrew “And”
- Job 36:29 Literally “if he can understand”
- Job 36:31 Literally “as far as providing in abundance”
- Job 36:33 Literally “about going up”
Job 36
New International Version
Job 36
New International Version
36 Elihu continued:
2 “Bear with me a little longer and I will show you
that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.
3 I get my knowledge from afar;(A)
I will ascribe justice to my Maker.(B)
4 Be assured that my words are not false;(C)
one who has perfect knowledge(D) is with you.(E)
5 “God is mighty,(F) but despises no one;(G)
he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.(H)
6 He does not keep the wicked alive(I)
but gives the afflicted their rights.(J)
7 He does not take his eyes off the righteous;(K)
he enthrones them with kings(L)
and exalts them forever.(M)
8 But if people are bound in chains,(N)
held fast by cords of affliction,(O)
9 he tells them what they have done—
that they have sinned arrogantly.(P)
10 He makes them listen(Q) to correction(R)
and commands them to repent of their evil.(S)
11 If they obey and serve him,(T)
they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity(U)
and their years in contentment.(V)
12 But if they do not listen,
they will perish by the sword[a](W)
and die without knowledge.(X)
13 “The godless in heart(Y) harbor resentment;(Z)
even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.(AA)
14 They die in their youth,(AB)
among male prostitutes of the shrines.(AC)
15 But those who suffer(AD) he delivers in their suffering;(AE)
he speaks(AF) to them in their affliction.(AG)
16 “He is wooing(AH) you from the jaws of distress
to a spacious place(AI) free from restriction,(AJ)
to the comfort of your table(AK) laden with choice food.(AL)
17 But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked;(AM)
judgment and justice have taken hold of you.(AN)
18 Be careful that no one entices you by riches;
do not let a large bribe(AO) turn you aside.(AP)
19 Would your wealth(AQ) or even all your mighty efforts
sustain you so you would not be in distress?
20 Do not long for the night,(AR)
to drag people away from their homes.[b]
21 Beware of turning to evil,(AS)
which you seem to prefer to affliction.(AT)
22 “God is exalted in his power.(AU)
Who is a teacher like him?(AV)
23 Who has prescribed his ways(AW) for him,(AX)
or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’?(AY)
24 Remember to extol his work,(AZ)
which people have praised in song.(BA)
25 All humanity has seen it;(BB)
mortals gaze on it from afar.
26 How great is God—beyond our understanding!(BC)
The number of his years is past finding out.(BD)
27 “He draws up the drops of water,(BE)
which distill as rain to the streams[c];(BF)
28 the clouds pour down their moisture
and abundant showers(BG) fall on mankind.(BH)
29 Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,
how he thunders(BI) from his pavilion?(BJ)
30 See how he scatters his lightning(BK) about him,
bathing the depths of the sea.(BL)
31 This is the way he governs[d] the nations(BM)
and provides food(BN) in abundance.(BO)
32 He fills his hands with lightning
and commands it to strike its mark.(BP)
33 His thunder announces the coming storm;(BQ)
even the cattle make known its approach.[e](BR)
Job 36
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Job 36
Holman Christian Standard Bible
36 Then Elihu continued, saying:
2 Be patient with me a little longer, and I will inform you,
for there is still more to be said on God’s behalf.
3 I will get my knowledge from a distant place
and ascribe justice to my Maker.
4 For my arguments are without flaw;[a]
one who has perfect knowledge is with you.
5 Yes, God is mighty, but He despises no one;
He understands all things.[b](A)
6 He does not keep the wicked alive,(B)
but He gives justice to the afflicted.
7 He does not remove His gaze from the righteous,
but He seats them forever with enthroned kings,
and they are exalted.
8 If people are bound with chains
and trapped by the cords of affliction,
9 God tells them what they have done
and how arrogantly they have transgressed.
10 He opens their ears(C) to correction
and insists they repent from iniquity.
11 If they serve Him obediently,
they will end their days in prosperity
and their years in happiness.(D)
12 But if they do not obey,
they will cross the river of death[c]
and die without knowledge.(E)
13 Those who have a godless heart harbor anger;
even when God binds them, they do not cry for help.
14 They die in their youth;
their life ends among male cult prostitutes.(F)
15 God rescues the afflicted by their affliction;
He instructs them by their torment.
16 Indeed, He lured you from the jaws[d] of distress
to a spacious and unconfined place.
Your table was spread with choice food.
17 Yet now you are obsessed with the judgment due the wicked;
judgment and justice have seized you.
18 Be careful that no one lures you with riches;[e]
do not let a large ransom[f] lead you astray.(G)
19 Can your wealth[g] or all your physical exertion
keep you from distress?(H)
20 Do not long for the night
when nations will disappear from their places.
21 Be careful that you do not turn to iniquity,
for that is why you have been tested by[h] affliction.
22 Look, God shows Himself exalted by His power.
Who is a teacher like Him?
23 Who has appointed His way for Him,
and who has declared, “You have done wrong”?(I)
24 Remember that you should praise His work,
which people have sung about.(J)
25 All mankind has seen it;
people have looked at it from a distance.(K)
26 Yes, God is exalted beyond our knowledge;(L)
the number of His years cannot be counted.(M)
27 For He makes waterdrops evaporate;[i]
they distill the rain into its[j] mist,(N)
28 which the clouds pour out
and shower abundantly on mankind.
29 Can anyone understand how the clouds spread out
or how the thunder roars from God’s pavilion?(O)
30 See how He spreads His lightning(P) around Him
and covers the depths of the sea.
31 For He judges the nations with these;
He gives food in abundance.(Q)
32 He covers His hands with lightning
and commands it to hit its mark.
33 The[k] thunder declares His presence;[l]
the cattle also, the approaching storm.
Footnotes
- Job 36:4 Lit my words are not false
- Job 36:5 Lit He is mighty in strength of heart
- Job 36:12 Or will perish by the sword
- Job 36:16 Lit from a mouth of narrowness
- Job 36:18 Or you into mockery
- Job 36:18 Or bribe
- Job 36:19 Or cry for help
- Job 36:21 Or for you have preferred this to
- Job 36:27 Lit He draws in waterdrops
- Job 36:27 Or His
- Job 36:33 Lit His, or Its
- Job 36:33 Lit thunder announces concerning Him or it
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.