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”
Job 36
New Living Translation
36 Elihu continued speaking:
2 “Let me go on, and I will show you the truth.
For I have not finished defending God!
3 I will present profound arguments
for the righteousness of my Creator.
4 I am telling you nothing but the truth,
for I am a man of great knowledge.
5 “God is mighty, but he does not despise anyone!
He is mighty in both power and understanding.
6 He does not let the wicked live
but gives justice to the afflicted.
7 He never takes his eyes off the innocent,
but he sets them on thrones with kings
and exalts them forever.
8 If they are bound in chains
and caught up in a web of trouble,
9 he shows them the reason.
He shows them their sins of pride.
10 He gets their attention
and commands that they turn from evil.
11 “If they listen and obey God,
they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives.
All their years will be pleasant.
12 But if they refuse to listen to him,
they will cross over the river of death,
dying from lack of understanding.
13 For the godless are full of resentment.
Even when he punishes them,
they refuse to cry out to him for help.
14 They die when they are young,
after wasting their lives in immoral living.
15 But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer.
For he gets their attention through adversity.
16 “God is leading you away from danger, Job,
to a place free from distress.
He is setting your table with the best food.
17 But you are obsessed with whether the godless will be judged.
Don’t worry, judgment and justice will be upheld.
18 But watch out, or you may be seduced by wealth.[a]
Don’t let yourself be bribed into sin.
19 Could all your wealth[b]
or all your mighty efforts
keep you from distress?
20 Do not long for the cover of night,
for that is when people will be destroyed.[c]
21 Be on guard! Turn back from evil,
for God sent this suffering
to keep you from a life of evil.
Elihu Reminds Job of God’s Power
22 “Look, God is all-powerful.
Who is a teacher like him?
23 No one can tell him what to do,
or say to him, ‘You have done wrong.’
24 Instead, glorify his mighty works,
singing songs of praise.
25 Everyone has seen these things,
though only from a distance.
26 “Look, God is greater than we can understand.
His years cannot be counted.
27 He draws up the water vapor
and then distills it into rain.
28 The rain pours down from the clouds,
and everyone benefits.
29 Who can understand the spreading of the clouds
and the thunder that rolls forth from heaven?
30 See how he spreads the lightning around him
and how it lights up the depths of the sea.
31 By these mighty acts he nourishes[d] the people,
giving them food in abundance.
32 He fills his hands with lightning bolts
and hurls each at its target.
33 The thunder announces his presence;
the storm announces his indignant anger.[e]
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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