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Job 36
Modern English Version
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
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
Job 36
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
36 Elihu proceeded and said,
2 Bear with me and wait a little longer, and I will show you, for I have something still to say on God’s behalf.
3 I will bring my knowledge from afar and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words shall not be false; He Who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
5 Behold! God is mighty, and yet despises no one nor regards anything as trivial; He is mighty in power of understanding and heart.
6 He does not prolong the life of the wicked, but gives the needy and afflicted their right.
7 He withdraws not His eyes from the righteous (the upright in right standing with God); but He sets them forever with kings upon the throne, and they are exalted.
8 And if they are bound in fetters [of adversity] and held by cords of affliction,(A)
9 Then He shows to them [the true character of] their deeds and their transgressions, that they have acted arrogantly [with presumption and self-sufficiency].
10 He also opens their ears to instruction and discipline, and commands that they return from iniquity.
11 If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasantness and joy.
12 But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword [of God’s destructive judgments], and they shall die in ignorance of true knowledge.
13 But the godless and profane in heart heap up anger [at the divine discipline]; they do not cry to Him when He binds them [with cords of affliction].(B)
14 They die in youth, and their life perishes among the unclean (those who are sodomites).
15 He delivers the afflicted in their affliction and opens their ears [to His voice] in adversity.
16 Indeed, God would have allured you out of the mouth of distress into a broad place where there is no situation of perplexity or privation; and that which would be set on your table would be full of fatness.
17 But if you [Job] are filled with the judgment of the wicked, judgment and justice will keep hold on you.
18 For let not wrath entice you into scorning chastisements; and let not the greatness of the ransom [the suffering, if rightly endured] turn you aside.
19 Will your cry be sufficient to keep you from distress, or will all the force of your strength do it?
20 Desire not the night, when peoples are cut off from their places;
21 Take heed, turn not to iniquity, for this [the iniquity of complaining against God] you have chosen rather than [submission in] affliction.
22 Behold, God exalts and does loftily in His power; who is a ruler or a teacher like Him?
23 Who has appointed God His way? Or who can say, You have done unrighteousness?
24 Remember that [by submission] you magnify God’s work, of which men have sung.
25 All men have looked upon God’s work; man may behold it afar off.
26 Behold, God is great, and we know Him not! The number of His years is unsearchable.(C)
27 For He draws up the drops of water, which distil as rain from His vapor,
28 Which the skies pour down and drop abundantly upon [the multitudes of] mankind.
29 Not only that, but can anyone understand the spreadings of the clouds or the thunderings of His pavilion?(D)
30 Behold, He spreads His lightning against the dark clouds and covers the roots of the sea.
31 For by [His clouds] God executes judgment upon the peoples; He gives food in abundance.
32 He covers His hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark.
33 His thunderings speak [awesomely] concerning Him; the cattle are told of His coming storm.
Job 36
New International Version
Job 36
New International Version
36 Elihu continued:
2 “Bear with me a little longer and I will show you
that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.
3 I get my knowledge from afar;(A)
I will ascribe justice to my Maker.(B)
4 Be assured that my words are not false;(C)
one who has perfect knowledge(D) is with you.(E)
5 “God is mighty,(F) but despises no one;(G)
he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.(H)
6 He does not keep the wicked alive(I)
but gives the afflicted their rights.(J)
7 He does not take his eyes off the righteous;(K)
he enthrones them with kings(L)
and exalts them forever.(M)
8 But if people are bound in chains,(N)
held fast by cords of affliction,(O)
9 he tells them what they have done—
that they have sinned arrogantly.(P)
10 He makes them listen(Q) to correction(R)
and commands them to repent of their evil.(S)
11 If they obey and serve him,(T)
they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity(U)
and their years in contentment.(V)
12 But if they do not listen,
they will perish by the sword[a](W)
and die without knowledge.(X)
13 “The godless in heart(Y) harbor resentment;(Z)
even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.(AA)
14 They die in their youth,(AB)
among male prostitutes of the shrines.(AC)
15 But those who suffer(AD) he delivers in their suffering;(AE)
he speaks(AF) to them in their affliction.(AG)
16 “He is wooing(AH) you from the jaws of distress
to a spacious place(AI) free from restriction,(AJ)
to the comfort of your table(AK) laden with choice food.(AL)
17 But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked;(AM)
judgment and justice have taken hold of you.(AN)
18 Be careful that no one entices you by riches;
do not let a large bribe(AO) turn you aside.(AP)
19 Would your wealth(AQ) or even all your mighty efforts
sustain you so you would not be in distress?
20 Do not long for the night,(AR)
to drag people away from their homes.[b]
21 Beware of turning to evil,(AS)
which you seem to prefer to affliction.(AT)
22 “God is exalted in his power.(AU)
Who is a teacher like him?(AV)
23 Who has prescribed his ways(AW) for him,(AX)
or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’?(AY)
24 Remember to extol his work,(AZ)
which people have praised in song.(BA)
25 All humanity has seen it;(BB)
mortals gaze on it from afar.
26 How great is God—beyond our understanding!(BC)
The number of his years is past finding out.(BD)
27 “He draws up the drops of water,(BE)
which distill as rain to the streams[c];(BF)
28 the clouds pour down their moisture
and abundant showers(BG) fall on mankind.(BH)
29 Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,
how he thunders(BI) from his pavilion?(BJ)
30 See how he scatters his lightning(BK) about him,
bathing the depths of the sea.(BL)
31 This is the way he governs[d] the nations(BM)
and provides food(BN) in abundance.(BO)
32 He fills his hands with lightning
and commands it to strike its mark.(BP)
33 His thunder announces the coming storm;(BQ)
even the cattle make known its approach.[e](BR)
Modern English Version (MEV)
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) 
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.