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]
Job 36
Common English Bible
Reason for continuing
36 Continuing, Elihu said,
2 Wait a little while so I can demonstrate for you
that there is still something more to say about God.
3 I will draw from my broad knowledge,
attribute justice to my maker.
4 My words are certainly truthful;
one with total knowledge is present with you.
Divine discipline
5 Look, God is mighty and doesn’t reject anyone;
he is mighty in strength and mind.
6 He doesn’t let the wicked live,
but grants justice to the poor.
7 He doesn’t avert his eyes from the righteous;
he seats kings on thrones forever,
and they are lifted up.
8 If they are tied with ropes,
caught in cords of affliction,
9 he informs them about their offenses
and their grave sins.
10 He opens their ears with discipline
and commands them to turn from wrong.
11 If they listen and serve,
they spend their days in plenty,
their years contentedly.
12 But if they don’t listen,
they perish by the sword,
breathe their last without understanding.
13 Those with impious hearts become furious;
they don’t cry out even though he binds them.
14 They die young;
they are among the holy ones.
15 He saves the weak in their affliction,
opens their ears through oppression.
16 Surely he draws you up from the brink of trouble
to a wide place without distress;
your table is set with rich food.
17 You are overly concerned about the case of the wicked;
justice will be upheld in it.
18 Don’t let them lure you with wealth;
don’t let a huge bribe mislead you.
19 Will he arrange your rescue from distress
or from all your exertions of strength?
20 Don’t wish for the night
when people vanish from their place.
21 Take care; don’t turn to evil
because you’ve chosen it over affliction.
22 Look, God is inaccessible due to his power;
who is a teacher like him?
23 Who has repaid him for his action,
and who would ever say, “You’ve done wrong”?
24 Remember to praise his work
that all of us have seen.
25 Every person has seen him;
people can observe at great distance.
God’s control of the storm
26 Look, God is exalted and unknowable;
the number of his years is beyond counting.
27 He draws up drops of water
that distill rain from his flood;
28 the clouds pour moisture
and drip continually on humans.
29 Even if one perceives a spreading cloud
and the thunder of his pavilion,[a]
30 look how he spreads lightning across it
and covers the seabed;
31 for by water[b] he judges peoples
and gives food in abundance.
32 He conceals lightning in his palms
and orders it to its target.
33 His thunder announces it;
even cattle proclaim its rising.
Job 36
GOD’S WORD Translation
Elihu Continues: Hear Me Out
36 Elihu continued to speak ⌞to Job⌟,
2 “Be patient with me a little longer, and I will show you
that there is more to be said in God’s defense.
3 I will get my knowledge from far away
and prove that my Creator is fair.
4 Certainly, my words are not lies.
The one who knows everything is ⌞speaking⌟ with you.
God’s Justice Is Beyond Human Understanding
5 “Certainly, God is mighty.
He doesn’t despise anyone.
He is mighty and brave.
6 He doesn’t allow the wicked person to live.
He grants justice to those who are oppressed.
7 He doesn’t take his eyes off righteous people.
He seats them on thrones with kings to honor them forever.
8 However, if righteous people are bound in chains
and tangled in ropes of misery,
9 he tells them what they’ve done wrong
and that they’ve behaved arrogantly.
10 He makes them listen to his warning
and orders them to turn away from wrong.
11 “If righteous people listen and serve ⌞him⌟,
they will live out their days in prosperity
and their years in comfort.
12 But if they don’t listen,
they will cross the River ⌞of Death⌟
and die like those who have no knowledge.
13 But those who have godless hearts remain angry.
They don’t even call for help when he chains them up.
14 They die while they’re young,
or they live on as male prostitutes in the temples of idols.
15 He rescues suffering people through their suffering,
and he opens their ears through distress.
16 “Yes, he lured you away from the jaws of trouble
into an open area where you were not restrained,
and your table was covered with rich foods.
17 But you are given the judgment evil people deserve.
A fair judgment will be upheld.
18 Be careful that you are not led astray with riches.
Don’t let a large bribe turn you ⌞to evil ways⌟.
19 Will your riches save you from having to suffer?
Will all your mighty strength help you?
20 Don’t look forward to the night,
when people disappear from their places.
21 Be careful! Don’t turn to evil,
because you have chosen evil instead of suffering.
22 “God does great things by his power.
Is there any teacher like him?
23 Who can tell him which way he should go?
Who can say to him, ‘You did wrong’?
24 Remember that you should praise his work.
People have sung about it.
25 Every person has seen it.
Mortals have looked at it from a distance.
26 “Certainly, God is so great
that he is beyond our understanding.
The number of his years cannot be counted.
27 He collects drops of water.
He distills rain from his mist,
28 which then drips from the clouds.
It pours down on many people.
29 Can anyone really understand how clouds spread out
or how he thunders from his dwelling place?
30 Look, he scatters his flashes of lightning around him
and covers the depths of the sea.
31 This is how he uses the rains to provide for people
and to give them more than enough food.
32 He fills his hands with lightning
and orders it to hit the target.
33 The thunder announces his coming.
The storm announces his angry wrath.
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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