Job 36
New Catholic Bible
Elihu’s Fourth Speech[a]
Chapter 36
God Renders Justice to the Afflicted.[b] 1 Elihu then proceeded further and said:
2 “Be patient a little longer while I instruct you,
for I have more to say on God’s behalf.
3 I will take my knowledge from afar
to support my assertion that my Master is just.
4 I promise that there will be no flaws in my arguments;
I come before you as a man of sound learning.
5 “God is mighty and does not recant;
he is great because of firmness of heart.
6 He does not let the wicked live on in all vigor
and renders justice to the afflicted.
7 He does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous,
but he seats them forever with kings on the throne,
and they are exalted forever.
8 “He will also have sinners fettered with chains
and held fast by the bonds of affliction
9 after having denounced their conduct
and the sins of pride that they have committed.
10 He opens their ears to correction,
commanding them to turn back from their evil ways.
11 “If they obey and once again serve him,
they will live out their days in prosperity,
and their years will pass pleasantly.
12 But if they do not obey him,
they will cross the river of death
and die as a result of their stubbornness.
13 Those whose hearts turn away from God rage against him,
and they do not cry for help when he chains them.
14 They die in the bloom of their youth
after a dissolute life.
15 But God rescues the suffering from their affliction,
employing their distress to instruct them.
16 “He also seeks to snatch you from torment.
When you were enjoying a life of comfort
with abundant riches and plenteous food,
17 you refused to bring the wicked to trial
or to uphold the rights of the orphan.
18 Beware lest abundance cloud your judgment
and that you not be corrupted by lavish gifts.
19 Bring the powerful to justice, not merely the poor,
those who are powerful, not only the weak.
20 “Do not long for the night
when you can drag people away from their homes.
21 Take care not to turn to evil;
that is why you are now being tested by affliction.
God Is Truly Great[c]
22 “Behold, God is exalted in his power.
What teacher can equal him?
23 Who has prescribed the course he should follow?
Who can dare to say to him, ‘You have done wrong’?
24 “Therefore, remember to extol his work
which men have always praised in song.
25 All men can behold it,
admiring it from afar.
26 God is so great that he is beyond our understanding;
the number of his years is past counting.
27 “It is God who draws up drops of water
that he distills as rain to the streams.
28 His rain clouds pour down
and provide abundant water for mankind.
29 “Can anyone fathom how he spreads the clouds
as the carpeting of his tent?
30 Behold how he scatters his lightning
and covers the depths of the sea.
31 This is how he nourishes the nations,
providing food for them in abundance.
32 He holds the lightning in his hands
and commands it to strike the designated mark.
33 His thunder warns us of his coming
as he prepares for combat against iniquity.
Footnotes
- Job 36:1 With his usual excessive emphasis, Elihu repeats in his last discourse the main current beliefs on the justice and greatness of God: God does indeed reward the righteous and punish sinners (in direct contrast to Job’s assertions). The text, which is often corrupt, does not allow us always to determine just what is proper to Elihu.
- Job 36:1 God’s greatness consists in being just. He refutes the pretensions of the wicked and powerful and saves the poor. If Job could understand this, hope would arise in him. At times, the text speaks of poverty with the tone of the Gospel.
- Job 36:22 The sovereign wisdom of God radiates throughout the universe. In his hands, rain, tempest, and snow become calamities or benefits to accompany his justice in regard to human beings. This text is a lyrical chant of the power of God.
Job 36
Christian Standard Bible
36 Then Elihu continued, saying:
2 Be patient with me a little longer, and I will inform you,
for there is still more to be said on God’s behalf.
3 I will get my knowledge from a distant place
and ascribe justice to my Maker.
4 Indeed, my words are not false;
one who has complete knowledge is with you.
5 Yes, God is mighty, but he despises no one;
he understands all things.[a](A)
6 He does not keep the wicked alive,(B)
but he gives justice to the oppressed.
7 He does not withdraw his gaze from the righteous,
but he seats them forever with enthroned kings,
and they are exalted.
8 If people are bound with chains
and trapped by the cords of affliction,
9 God tells them what they have done
and how arrogantly they have transgressed.
10 He opens their ears(C) to correction
and tells them to repent from iniquity.
11 If they listen and serve him,
they will end their days in prosperity
and their years in happiness.(D)
12 But if they do not listen,
they will cross the river of death[b]
and die without knowledge.(E)
13 Those who have a godless heart harbor anger;
even when God binds them, they do not cry for help.
14 They die in their youth;
their life ends among male cult prostitutes.(F)
15 God rescues the afflicted by their affliction;
he instructs them by their torment.
16 Indeed, he lured you from the jaws[c] of distress
to a spacious and unconfined place.
Your table was spread with choice food.
17 Yet now you are obsessed with the judgment due the wicked;
judgment and justice have seized you.
18 Be careful that no one lures you with riches;[d]
do not let a large ransom[e] lead you astray.(G)
19 Can your wealth[f] or all your physical exertion
keep you from distress?(H)
20 Do not long for the night
when nations will disappear from their places.
21 Be careful that you do not turn to iniquity,
for that is why you have been tested by[g] affliction.
22 Look, God shows himself exalted by his power.
Who is a teacher like him?
23 Who has appointed his way for him,
and who has declared, “You have done wrong”?(I)
24 Remember that you should praise his work,
which people have sung about.(J)
25 All mankind has seen it;
people have looked at it from a distance.(K)
26 Yes, God is exalted beyond our knowledge;(L)
the number of his years cannot be counted.(M)
27 For he makes waterdrops evaporate;[h]
they distill the rain into its[i] mist,(N)
28 which the clouds pour out
and shower abundantly on mankind.
29 Can anyone understand how the clouds spread out
or how the thunder roars from God’s pavilion?(O)
30 See how he spreads his lightning(P) around him
and covers the depths of the sea.
31 For he judges the nations with these;
he gives food in abundance.(Q)
32 He covers his hands with lightning
and commands it to hit its mark.
33 The[j] thunder declares his presence;[k]
the cattle also, the approaching storm.
Footnotes
- 36:5 Lit he is mighty in strength of heart
- 36:12 Or will perish by the sword
- 36:16 Lit from a mouth of narrowness
- 36:18 Or you into mockery
- 36:18 Or bribe
- 36:19 Or cry for help
- 36:21 Or for you have preferred this to
- 36:27 Lit he draws in waterdrops
- 36:27 Or his
- 36:33 Lit His, or Its
- 36:33 Lit thunder announces concerning him or it
Job 36
Dios Habla Hoy
Cuarto discurso de Elihú
36 Ten un poco de paciencia, y te instruiré,
pues aún tengo argumentos a favor de Dios.
3 Usaré mis amplios conocimientos
para mostrar que mi Creador tiene razón.
4 Te aseguro que no diré nada falso;
tienes delante a un sabio consumado.
5 Dios es poderoso e inmensamente sabio,
y no desprecia al inocente.
6 No perdona la vida al malvado,
pero hace justicia a los pobres;
7 siempre protege a los hombres rectos;
afirma a los reyes en sus tronos,
y los mantiene en alta posición.
8 Pero si son sujetados con cadenas
y el dolor los atormenta,
9 Dios les hace ver el mal que cometieron
y cómo se dejaron llevar por el orgullo.
10 Les habla para corregirlos
y pedirles que dejen su maldad.
11 Si le hacen caso y se someten,
gozan de dicha y felicidad
por el resto de sus días.
12 Pero si no hacen caso,
mueren y bajan al sepulcro
antes de que puedan darse cuenta.
13 Los impíos se llenan de furor,
y ni aun estando presos piden ayuda.
14 Mueren en plena juventud;
su vida termina en forma vergonzosa.
15 Por medio del sufrimiento, Dios salva al que sufre;
por medio del dolor lo hace entender.
16 A ti también te libró de los peligros,
y te dio abundancia y libertad;
llenó tu mesa de comidas deliciosas.
17 En ti se cumple la sentencia del malvado,
y no podrás evitar que se te juzgue y condene.
18 Cuida de no dejarte sobornar,
de no dejarte seducir por el mucho dinero.
19 En la angustia no te servirán de nada
tus gritos ni todo tu poder.
20 No suspires por que llegue la noche,
cuando los pueblos desaparecen.
21 Cuida de no volver a la maldad,
tú que fuiste probado por el sufrimiento.
22 Fíjate en el gran poder de Dios.
Ningún maestro es comparable a él;
23 nadie puede decirle lo que tiene que hacer,
ni echarle en cara el haber hecho mal.
24 Todo el mundo alaba sus obras;
acuérdate también tú de alabarlas.
25 Todo hombre puede verlas,
aunque sea de lejos.
26 Dios es tan grande, que no podemos comprenderlo;
tampoco podemos contar sus años.
27 Él recoge en un depósito las gotas de agua,
y luego las convierte en lluvia.
28 La lluvia chorrea de las nubes
y cae en aguaceros sobre la gente.
29 ¿Quién entiende por qué avanzan las nubes,
o por qué resuena el trueno en el cielo?
30 Dios extiende el relámpago sobre el mar,
dejando oculto el fondo del océano.
31 Así alimenta a los pueblos
y les da comida en abundancia.
32 Sujeta el rayo entre sus manos,
y éste da en el blanco, tal como él lo ordena.
33 El trueno anuncia a Dios,
la tempestad proclama su ira.
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Dios habla hoy ®, © Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas, 1966, 1970, 1979, 1983, 1996.