Job 36
Modern English Version
Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty
36 Elihu continued and said:
2 “Bear with me a little, and I will show you
that I have yet to speak on God’s behalf.
3 I will bring my knowledge from afar
and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words will not be false;
He who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
5 “Behold, God is mighty and despises no one;
He is mighty in strength and wisdom.
6 He does not preserve the life of the wicked,
but gives justice to the poor.
7 He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
but they are on the throne with kings,
for He establishes them forever, and they are exalted.
8 If they are bound in chains
and held in cords of affliction,
9 then He shows them their work,
and their transgressions that they have exceeded;
10 and He opens their ear to discipline,
and commands that they turn from iniquity.
11 If they obey and serve Him,
they will spend their days in prosperity
and their years in pleasures.
12 But if they do not obey,
they will perish by the sword,
and they will die without knowledge.
13 “But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath;
they do not cry out when He binds them.
14 They die in youth,
and their life ends among the unclean.
15 He delivers the poor in their affliction,
and opens their ears in oppression.
16 “Even so He would have removed you out of distress
into a broad place where there is no restraint;
and that which was set on your table would be full of richness.
17 But you are filled with the judgment due the wicked;
judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with a blow;
even a great ransom cannot deliver you.
19 Will He esteem your riches?
No, not gold, nor all the force of your strength.
20 Do not desire the night,
when people are cut off in their place.
21 Take heed! Do not turn to iniquity,
for you have chosen this rather than affliction.
22 “Behold, God is exalted in His power;
who teaches like Him?
23 Who has prescribed His way for Him?
Or who can say, ‘You have worked iniquity’?
24 Remember to magnify His work,
which men behold.
25 Every man may see it;
man may behold it from afar.
26 Look, God is great, and we do not know Him,
nor can the number of His years be searched out.
27 “For He draws up the drops of water;
they distill rain according to its mist,
28 which the clouds drop down,
and drip upon man abundantly.
29 Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
or the noise of His tent?
30 See, He spreads His light upon it
and covers the bottom of the sea.
31 For by these He judges the people;
He gives food in abundance.
32 With clouds He covers the light,
and commands it to strike the mark.
33 Its thunder declares it,
the cattle also, concerning the rising storm.
Job 36
American Standard Version
36 Elihu also proceeded, and said,
2 [a]Suffer me a little, and I will show thee;
For [b]I have yet somewhat to say on God’s behalf.
3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar,
And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words are not false:
One that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.
5 Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any:
He is mighty in strength of [c]understanding.
6 He preserveth not the life of the wicked,
But giveth to the afflicted their right.
7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous:
But with kings upon the throne
He setteth them for ever, and they are exalted.
8 And if they be bound in fetters,
And be taken in the cords of affliction;
9 Then he showeth them their work,
And their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.
10 He openeth also their ear to instruction,
And commandeth that they return from iniquity.
11 If they hearken and serve him,
They shall spend their days in prosperity,
And their years in [d]pleasures.
12 But if they hearken not, they shall perish by [e]the sword,
And they shall die without knowledge.
13 But they that are godless in heart lay up anger:
They cry not for help when he bindeth them.
14 [f]They die in youth,
And their life perisheth [g]among the [h]unclean.
15 He delivereth the afflicted [i]by their affliction,
And openeth their ear [j]in oppression.
16 Yea, he would have allured thee [k]out of distress
Into a broad place, where there is no straitness;
And that which is set on thy table would be full of fatness.
17 But thou [l]art full of the judgment of the wicked:
Judgment and justice take hold on thee.
18 [m]For let not wrath stir thee up against chastisements;
Neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside.
19 Will thy cry avail, that thou be not in distress,
Or all the forces of thy strength?
20 Desire not the night,
When peoples [n]are cut off in their place.
21 Take heed, regard not iniquity:
For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.
22 Behold, God doeth loftily in his power:
Who is a teacher like unto him?
23 Who hath enjoined him his way?
Or who can say, Thou hast wrought unrighteousness?
24 Remember that thou magnify his work,
Whereof men have sung.
25 All men have looked thereon;
Man beholdeth it afar off.
26 Behold, God is great, and we know him not;
The number of his years is unsearchable.
27 For he draweth up the drops of water,
Which distil in rain [o]from [p]his vapor,
28 Which the skies pour down
And drop upon man abundantly.
29 Yea, can any understand the spreadings of the clouds,
The thunderings of his pavilion?
30 Behold, he spreadeth his light [q]around him;
And he [r]covereth the bottom of the sea.
31 For by these he judgeth the peoples;
He giveth food in abundance.
32 He covereth his hands with the [s]lightning,
And giveth it a charge [t]that it strike the mark.
33 The noise thereof telleth concerning [u]him,
The cattle also concerning [v]the storm that cometh up.
Footnotes
- Job 36:2 Hebrew Wait for.
- Job 36:2 Hebrew there are yet words for God.
- Job 36:5 Hebrew heart.
- Job 36:11 Or, pleasantness
- Job 36:12 Or, weapons
- Job 36:14 Hebrew Their soul dieth.
- Job 36:14 Or, like
- Job 36:14 Or, sodomites. See Dt. 23:17.
- Job 36:15 Or, in
- Job 36:15 Or, by adversity
- Job 36:16 Hebrew out of the mouth of.
- Job 36:17 Or, hast filled up
- Job 36:18 Or, Because there is wrath, beware lest thou be led away by thy sufficiency
- Job 36:20 Hebrew go up.
- Job 36:27 Hebrew belonging to.
- Job 36:27 Or, the vapor thereof
- Job 36:30 Or, thereon
- Job 36:30 Or, covereth it with the depths of the sea
- Job 36:32 Hebrew light.
- Job 36:32 Or, against the assailant
- Job 36:33 Or, it
- Job 36:33 Or, him
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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