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36 Elihu also continued, and said,

“Bear with me a little, and I will show you;
    for I still have something to say on God’s behalf.
I will get my knowledge from afar,
    and 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, and doesn’t despise anyone.
    He is mighty in strength of understanding.
He doesn’t preserve the life of the wicked,
    but gives justice to the afflicted.
He doesn’t withdraw his eyes from the righteous,
    but with kings on the throne,
    he sets them forever, and they are exalted.
If they are bound in fetters,
    and are taken in the cords of afflictions,
then he shows them their work,
    and their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.
10 He also opens their ears to instruction,
    and commands that they return from iniquity.
11 If they listen and serve him,
    they will spend their days in prosperity,
    and their years in pleasures.
12 But if they don’t listen, they will perish by the sword;
    they will die without knowledge.

13 “But those who are godless in heart lay up anger.
    They don’t cry for help when he binds them.
14 They die in youth.
    Their life perishes among the unclean.
15 He delivers the afflicted by their affliction,
    and opens their ear in oppression.
16 Yes, he would have allured you out of distress,
    into a wide place, where there is no restriction.
    That which is set on your table would be full of fatness.

17 “But you are full of the judgment of the wicked.
    Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 Don’t let riches entice you to wrath,
    neither let the great size of a bribe turn you aside.
19 Would your wealth sustain you in distress,
    or all the might of your strength?
20 Don’t desire the night,
    when people are cut off in their place.
21 Take heed, don’t regard iniquity;
    for you have chosen this rather than affliction.
22 Behold, God is exalted in his power.
    Who is a teacher like him?
23 Who has prescribed his way for him?
    Or who can say, ‘You have committed unrighteousness?’

24 “Remember that you magnify his work,
    about which men have sung.
25 All men have looked on it.
    Man sees it afar off.
26 Behold, God is great, and we don’t know him.
    The number of his years is unsearchable.
27 For he draws up the drops of water,
    which distill in rain from his vapor,
28 which the skies pour down
    and which drop on man abundantly.
29 Yes, can any understand the spreading of the clouds,
    and the thunderings of his pavilion?
30 Behold, he spreads his light around him.
    He covers the bottom of the sea.
31 For by these he judges the people.
    He gives food in abundance.
32 He covers his hands with the lightning,
    and commands it to strike the mark.
33 Its noise tells about him,
    and the livestock also concerning the storm that comes up.

36 Elihu also proceeded, and said,

[a]Suffer me a little, and I will show thee;
For [b]I have yet somewhat to say on God’s behalf.
I will fetch my knowledge from afar,
And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
For truly my words are not false:
One that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.
Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any:
He is mighty in strength of [c]understanding.
He preserveth not the life of the wicked,
But giveth to the afflicted their right.
He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous:
But with kings upon the throne
He setteth them for ever, and they are exalted.
And if they be bound in fetters,
And be taken in the cords of affliction;
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

  1. Job 36:2 Hebrew Wait for.
  2. Job 36:2 Hebrew there are yet words for God.
  3. Job 36:5 Hebrew heart.
  4. Job 36:11 Or, pleasantness
  5. Job 36:12 Or, weapons
  6. Job 36:14 Hebrew Their soul dieth.
  7. Job 36:14 Or, like
  8. Job 36:14 Or, sodomites. See Dt. 23:17.
  9. Job 36:15 Or, in
  10. Job 36:15 Or, by adversity
  11. Job 36:16 Hebrew out of the mouth of.
  12. Job 36:17 Or, hast filled up
  13. Job 36:18 Or, Because there is wrath, beware lest thou be led away by thy sufficiency
  14. Job 36:20 Hebrew go up.
  15. Job 36:27 Hebrew belonging to.
  16. Job 36:27 Or, the vapor thereof
  17. Job 36:30 Or, thereon
  18. Job 36:30 Or, covereth it with the depths of the sea
  19. Job 36:32 Hebrew light.
  20. Job 36:32 Or, against the assailant
  21. Job 36:33 Or, it
  22. Job 36:33 Or, him