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
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”
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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