36 以利户又说:
“再给我片刻,容我讲明,
我还有话替上帝说。
我要旁征博引,
证明我的创造主公义。
我的话绝非虚言,
知识全备者在你身旁。

“上帝有大能,但不藐视人,
祂无所不知。
祂不容恶人活命,
祂为穷苦人申冤。
祂时时看顾义人,
使他们与君王同坐宝座,
永远受尊崇。
他们若被锁链捆绑,
被苦难的绳索缠住,
祂就会指明他们的所作所为,
让他们知道自己狂妄的罪愆。
10 祂开启他们的耳朵,使之受教,
督促他们离开罪恶。
11 他们若听从、事奉祂,
就可一生幸福,安享天年。
12 否则,他们必死于刀下,
在无知中灭亡。
13 不信上帝的人心存愤怒,
被上帝捆绑也不求救。
14 他们盛年丧命,
与庙中的男妓一同夭亡。
15 上帝借苦难拯救受苦的人,
借患难开通他们的耳朵。
16 祂也要引领你脱离困境,
进入广阔自由之地,
使你享受满桌佳肴。

17 “但恶人应受的审判落在你身上,
你难逃审判和惩罚。
18 当心,不可因愤怒而嘲骂,
不可因赎金大就偏离正道。
19 难道你呼求、使出浑身力气,
就能脱离困境吗?
20 不要渴望黑夜来临——
就是众民被毁灭的时候。
21 当心,不可转向罪恶,
因你喜欢罪恶胜于苦难。
22 看啊,上帝的能力无以伦比。
谁能像祂那样赐人教诲?
23 谁能为祂指定道路?
谁能说祂行事不义?
24 人们都歌唱祂的作为,
你也要记得颂扬。
25 祂的作为,万民都已看见,
世人从远处目睹。
26 我们无法明白上帝的伟大,
祂的年岁无法数算。
27 祂吸取水滴,
使之在云雾中化为雨,
28 从云端沛然降下,
滋润人间。
29 谁能明白云层的铺展,
及祂幔幕发出的雷声?
30 祂在四围铺展闪电,
照亮大海的深处。
31 祂借此治理万民,
赐下丰富的食物。
32 祂手握闪电,
令它射向目标。
33 雷声显明祂的作为,
就连牲畜也能察觉。

36 Elihu also proceeded, and said,

Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on God's behalf.

I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.

He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor.

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.

And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction;

Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.

10 He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.

11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

12 But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

13 But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them.

14 They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.

15 He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.

16 Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.

17 But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee.

18 Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.

19 Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.

20 Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.

21 Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

22 Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?

23 Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?

24 Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold.

25 Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.

26 Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.

27 For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:

28 Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.

29 Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?

30 Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.

31 For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.

32 With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt.

33 The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour.

Elihu Proclaims God’s Goodness

36 Elihu also proceeded and said:

“Bear with me a little, and I will show you
That there are yet words to speak on God’s behalf.
I will fetch my knowledge from afar;
I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

“Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one;
(A)He is mighty in strength [a]of understanding.
He does not preserve the life of the wicked,
But gives justice to the (B)oppressed.
(C)He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But (D)they are on the throne with kings,
For He has seated them forever,
And they are exalted.
And (E)if they are bound in [b]fetters,
Held in the cords of affliction,
Then He tells them their work and their transgressions—
That they have acted [c]defiantly.
10 (F)He also opens their ear to [d]instruction,
And commands that they turn from iniquity.
11 If they obey and serve Him,
They shall (G)spend their days in prosperity,
And their years in pleasures.
12 But if they do not obey,
They shall perish by the sword,
And they shall die [e]without (H)knowledge.

13 “But the hypocrites in heart (I)store up wrath;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
14 (J)They[f] die in youth,
And their life ends among the [g]perverted persons.
15 He delivers the poor in their affliction,
And opens their ears in oppression.

16 “Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress,
(K)Into a broad place where there is no restraint;
And (L)what is set on your table would be full of (M)richness.
17 But you are filled with the judgment due the (N)wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow;
For (O)a large ransom would not help you avoid it.
19 (P)Will your riches,
Or all the mighty forces,
Keep you from distress?
20 Do not desire the night,
When people are cut off in their place.
21 Take heed, (Q)do not turn to iniquity,
For (R)you have chosen this rather than affliction.

22 “Behold, God is exalted by His power;
Who teaches like Him?
23 (S)Who has assigned Him His way,
Or who has said, ‘You have done (T)wrong’?

Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty

24 “Remember to (U)magnify His work,
Of which men have sung.
25 Everyone has seen it;
Man looks on it from afar.

26 “Behold, God is great, and we (V)do not know Him;
(W)Nor can the number of His years be discovered.
27 For He (X)draws up drops of water,
Which distill as rain from the mist,
28 (Y)Which the clouds drop down
And pour abundantly on man.
29 Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
The thunder from His canopy?
30 Look, He (Z)scatters His light upon it,
And covers the depths of the sea.
31 For (AA)by these He judges the peoples;
He (AB)gives food in abundance.
32 (AC)He covers His hands with lightning,
And commands it to [h]strike.
33 (AD)His thunder declares it,
The cattle also, concerning [i]the rising storm.

Footnotes

  1. Job 36:5 of heart
  2. Job 36:8 chains
  3. Job 36:9 proudly
  4. Job 36:10 discipline
  5. Job 36:12 MT as one without knowledge
  6. Job 36:14 Lit. Their soul dies
  7. Job 36:14 Heb. qedeshim, those practicing sodomy or prostitution in religious rituals
  8. Job 36:32 strike the mark
  9. Job 36:33 Lit. what is rising

36 Elihu proceeded and said,

Bear with me and wait a little longer, and I will show you, for I have something still to say on God’s behalf.

I will bring my knowledge from afar and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

For truly my words shall not be false; He Who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

Behold! God is mighty, and yet despises no one nor regards anything as trivial; He is mighty in power of understanding and heart.

He does not prolong the life of the wicked, but gives the needy and afflicted their right.

He withdraws not His eyes from the righteous (the upright in right standing with God); but He sets them forever with kings upon the throne, and they are exalted.

And if they are bound in fetters [of adversity] and held by cords of affliction,(A)

Then He shows to them [the true character of] their deeds and their transgressions, that they have acted arrogantly [with presumption and self-sufficiency].

10 He also opens their ears to instruction and discipline, and commands that they return from iniquity.

11 If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasantness and joy.

12 But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword [of God’s destructive judgments], and they shall die in ignorance of true knowledge.

13 But the godless and profane in heart heap up anger [at the divine discipline]; they do not cry to Him when He binds them [with cords of affliction].(B)

14 They die in youth, and their life perishes among the unclean (those who are sodomites).

15 He delivers the afflicted in their affliction and opens their ears [to His voice] in adversity.

16 Indeed, God would have allured you out of the mouth of distress into a broad place where there is no situation of perplexity or privation; and that which would be set on your table would be full of fatness.

17 But if you [Job] are filled with the judgment of the wicked, judgment and justice will keep hold on you.

18 For let not wrath entice you into scorning chastisements; and let not the greatness of the ransom [the suffering, if rightly endured] turn you aside.

19 Will your cry be sufficient to keep you from distress, or will all the force of your strength do it?

20 Desire not the night, when peoples are cut off from their places;

21 Take heed, turn not to iniquity, for this [the iniquity of complaining against God] you have chosen rather than [submission in] affliction.

22 Behold, God exalts and does loftily in His power; who is a ruler or a teacher like Him?

23 Who has appointed God His way? Or who can say, You have done unrighteousness?

24 Remember that [by submission] you magnify God’s work, of which men have sung.

25 All men have looked upon God’s work; man may behold it afar off.

26 Behold, God is great, and we know Him not! The number of His years is unsearchable.(C)

27 For He draws up the drops of water, which distil as rain from His vapor,

28 Which the skies pour down and drop abundantly upon [the multitudes of] mankind.

29 Not only that, but can anyone understand the spreadings of the clouds or the thunderings of His pavilion?(D)

30 Behold, He spreads His lightning against the dark clouds and covers the roots of the sea.

31 For by [His clouds] God executes judgment upon the peoples; He gives food in abundance.

32 He covers His hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark.

33 His thunderings speak [awesomely] concerning Him; the cattle are told of His coming storm.