Elihu Condemns Self-Righteousness

35 Moreover Elihu answered and said:

“Do you think this is right?
Do you say,
‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
For (A)you say,
‘What advantage will it be to You?
What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’

“I will answer you,
And (B)your companions with you.
(C)Look to the heavens and see;
And behold the clouds—
They are higher than you.
If you sin, what do you accomplish (D)against Him?
Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?
(E)If you are righteous, what do you give Him?
Or what does He receive from your hand?
Your wickedness affects a man such as you,
And your righteousness a son of man.

“Because(F) of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty.
10 But no one says, (G)‘Where is God my Maker,
(H)Who gives songs in the night,
11 Who (I)teaches us more than the beasts of the earth,
And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’
12 (J)There they cry out, but He does not answer,
Because of the pride of evil men.
13 (K)Surely God will not listen to empty talk,
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
14 (L)Although you say you do not see Him,
Yet justice is before Him, and (M)you must wait for Him.
15 And now, because He has not (N)punished in His anger,
Nor taken much notice of folly,
16 (O)Therefore Job opens his mouth in vain;
He multiplies words without knowledge.”

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;
(P)He is mighty in strength [a]of understanding.
He does not preserve the life of the wicked,
But gives justice to the (Q)oppressed.
(R)He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But (S)they are on the throne with kings,
For He has seated them forever,
And they are exalted.
And (T)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 (U)He also opens their ear to [d]instruction,
And commands that they turn from iniquity.
11 If they obey and serve Him,
They shall (V)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 (W)knowledge.

13 “But the hypocrites in heart (X)store up wrath;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
14 (Y)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,
(Z)Into a broad place where there is no restraint;
And (AA)what is set on your table would be full of (AB)richness.
17 But you are filled with the judgment due the (AC)wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow;
For (AD)a large ransom would not help you avoid it.
19 (AE)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, (AF)do not turn to iniquity,
For (AG)you have chosen this rather than affliction.

22 “Behold, God is exalted by His power;
Who teaches like Him?
23 (AH)Who has assigned Him His way,
Or who has said, ‘You have done (AI)wrong’?

Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty

24 “Remember to (AJ)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 (AK)do not know Him;
(AL)Nor can the number of His years be discovered.
27 For He (AM)draws up drops of water,
Which distill as rain from the mist,
28 (AN)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 (AO)scatters His light upon it,
And covers the depths of the sea.
31 For (AP)by these He judges the peoples;
He (AQ)gives food in abundance.
32 (AR)He covers His hands with lightning,
And commands it to [h]strike.
33 (AS)His thunder declares it,
The cattle also, concerning [i]the rising storm.

God’s Works and Wisdom

37 “At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
Hear attentively the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that comes from His mouth.
He sends it forth under the whole heaven,
His [j]lightning to the ends of the earth.
After it (AT)a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard.
God thunders marvelously with His voice;
(AU)He does great things which we cannot comprehend.
For (AV)He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;
Likewise to the [k]gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.
He seals the hand of every man,
(AW)That (AX)all men may know His work.
The beasts (AY)go into dens,
And remain in their lairs.
From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind,
And cold from the scattering winds of the north.
10 (AZ)By the breath of God ice is given,
And the broad waters are frozen.
11 Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds;
He scatters His [l]bright clouds.
12 And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance,
That they may (BA)do whatever He commands them
On the face of [m]the whole earth.
13 (BB)He causes it to come,
Whether for [n]correction,
Or (BC)for His land,
Or (BD)for mercy.

14 “Listen to this, O Job;
Stand still and (BE)consider the wondrous works of God.
15 Do you know when God [o]dispatches them,
And causes the light of His cloud to shine?
16 (BF)Do you know how the clouds are balanced,
Those wondrous works of (BG)Him who is perfect in knowledge?
17 Why are your garments hot,
When He quiets the earth by the south wind?
18 With Him, have you (BH)spread out the (BI)skies,
Strong as a cast metal mirror?

19 “Teach us what we should say to Him,
For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness.
20 Should He be told that I wish to speak?
If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.
21 Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies,
When the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 He comes from the north as golden splendor;
With God is awesome majesty.
23 As for the Almighty, (BJ)we cannot find Him;
(BK)He is excellent in power,
In judgment and abundant justice;
He does not oppress.
24 Therefore men (BL)fear Him;
He shows no partiality to any who are (BM)wise of heart.”

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
  10. Job 37:3 Or light
  11. Job 37:6 Lit. shower of rain
  12. Job 37:11 clouds of light
  13. Job 37:12 Lit. the world of the earth
  14. Job 37:13 Lit. a rod
  15. Job 37:15 places them

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