Job 35-37
Contemporary English Version
Elihu Continues
Are You Really Innocent?
35 Elihu said:
2 Job, are you really innocent
in the sight of God?[a]
3 Don't you honestly believe
it pays to obey him?
4 I will give the answers
to you and your friends.
* 5 Look up to the heavens
6 (A) and think!
Do your sins hurt God?
7 Is any good you may have done
at all helpful to him?
8 The evil or good you do
only affects other humans.
9 In times of trouble,
everyone begs the mighty God
to have mercy.
10 But after their Creator
helps them through hard times,
they forget about him,
11 though he makes us wiser
than animals or birds.
12 God won't listen to the prayers
of proud and evil people.
13 If God All-Powerful refuses
to answer their empty prayers,
14 he will surely deny
your impatient request
to face him in court.
15 Job, you were wrong to say
God doesn't punish sin.
16 Everything you have said
adds up to nonsense.
Elihu Continues
Be Patient a While Longer
36 Elihu said:
2 Be patient a while longer;
I have something else to say
in God's defense.
3 God always does right—
and this knowledge
comes straight from God.[b]
4 You can rest assured
that what I say is true.
5 Although God is mighty,
he cares about everyone
and makes fair decisions.
6 The wicked are cut down,
and those who are wronged
receive justice.
7 God watches over good people
and places them in positions
of power and honor forever.
8 But when people are prisoners
of suffering and pain,
* 9 God points out their sin
and their pride,
10 then he warns them
to turn back to him.
11 And if they obey,
they will be successful
and happy from then on.
12 But if they foolishly refuse,
they will be rewarded
with a violent death.
Godless People Are Too Angry
13 Godless people are too angry
to ask God for help
when he punishes them.
14 So they die young
in shameful disgrace.
15 Hard times and trouble
are God's way
of getting our attention!
16 And at this very moment,
God deeply desires
to lead you from trouble
and to spread your table
with your favorite food.
17 Now that the judgment
for your sins
has fallen upon you,
18 don't let your anger
and the pain you endured
make you sneer at God.
19 Your reputation and riches
cannot protect you
from distress,
20 nor can you find safety
in the dark world below.[c]
21 Be on guard! Don't turn to evil
as a way of escape.
22 God's power is unlimited.
He needs no teachers
23 to guide or correct him.
Others Have Praised God
24 Others have praised God
for what he has done,
so join with them.
25 From down here on earth,
everyone has looked up and seen
26 how great God is—
God is more than we imagine;
no one can count the years
he has lived.
* 27 God gathers moisture
into the clouds
28 and supplies us with rain.
29 Who can understand
how God scatters the clouds
and speaks from his home
in the thunderstorm?
30 And when God sends lightning,
it can be seen
at the bottom of the sea.[d]
31 By producing such rainstorms,
God rules the world
and provides us with food.
32 Each flash of lightning
is one of his arrows
striking its target,
33 and the thunder tells
of his anger against sin.[e]
Elihu Continues
I Am Frightened
37 I am frightened
and tremble all over,
2 when I hear the roaring voice
of God in the thunder,
3 and when I see his lightning
flash across the sky.
4 God's majestic voice
thunders his commands,[f]
5 creating miracles too marvelous
for us to understand.
6 Snow and heavy rainstorms
7 make us stop and think
about God's power,[g]
8 and they force animals
to seek shelter.
9 The windstorms of winter strike,
10 and the breath of God
freezes streams and rivers.
11 Rain clouds filled with lightning
appear at God's command,
12 traveling across the sky
13 to release their cargo—
sometimes as punishment for sin,
sometimes as kindness.
Consider Carefully
14 Job, consider carefully
the many wonders of God.
15 Can you explain why lightning
flashes at the orders
16 of God who knows all things?
Or how he hangs the clouds
in empty space?
17 You almost melt in the heat
of fierce desert winds
when the sky is like brass.
18 God can hammer out the clouds
in spite of the oppressive heat,
but can you?
19 Tell us what to say to God!
Our minds are in the dark,
and we don't know how
to argue our case.
20 Should I risk my life
by telling God
that I want to speak?
21 No one can stare at the sun
after a breeze has blown
the clouds from the sky.
22 Yet the glorious splendor
of God All-Powerful
is brighter by far.
23 God cannot be seen—
but his power is great,
and he is always fair.
24 And so we humans fear God,
because he shows no respect
for those who are proud
and think they know so much.
Footnotes
- 35.2 are … God: Or “is it right for you to accuse God?”
- 36.3 comes straight from God: The Hebrew text has “comes from a distant place,” which refers to the place where God lives; Elihu is claiming that he learned this from God.
- 36.20 below: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verses 18-20.
- 36.30 sea: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 30.
- 36.33 sin: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 33.
- 37.4 commands: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 4.
- 37.7 God's power: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 7.
Job 35-37
New King James Version
Elihu Condemns Self-Righteousness
35 Moreover Elihu answered and said:
2 “Do you think this is right?
Do you say,
‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
3 For (A)you say,
‘What advantage will it be to You?
What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’
4 “I will answer you,
And (B)your companions with you.
5 (C)Look to the heavens and see;
And behold the clouds—
They are higher than you.
6 If you sin, what do you accomplish (D)against Him?
Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?
7 (E)If you are righteous, what do you give Him?
Or what does He receive from your hand?
8 Your wickedness affects a man such as you,
And your righteousness a son of man.
9 “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:
2 “Bear with me a little, and I will show you
That there are yet words to speak on God’s behalf.
3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar;
I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
5 “Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one;
(P)He is mighty in strength [a]of understanding.
6 He does not preserve the life of the wicked,
But gives justice to the (Q)oppressed.
7 (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.
8 And (T)if they are bound in [b]fetters,
Held in the cords of affliction,
9 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.
2 Hear attentively the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that comes from His mouth.
3 He sends it forth under the whole heaven,
His [j]lightning to the ends of the earth.
4 After it (AT)a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard.
5 God thunders marvelously with His voice;
(AU)He does great things which we cannot comprehend.
6 For (AV)He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;
Likewise to the [k]gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.
7 He seals the hand of every man,
(AW)That (AX)all men may know His work.
8 The beasts (AY)go into dens,
And remain in their lairs.
9 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
- Job 36:5 of heart
- Job 36:8 chains
- Job 36:9 proudly
- Job 36:10 discipline
- Job 36:12 MT as one without knowledge
- Job 36:14 Lit. Their soul dies
- Job 36:14 Heb. qedeshim, those practicing sodomy or prostitution in religious rituals
- Job 36:32 strike the mark
- Job 36:33 Lit. what is rising
- Job 37:3 Or light
- Job 37:6 Lit. shower of rain
- Job 37:11 clouds of light
- Job 37:12 Lit. the world of the earth
- Job 37:13 Lit. a rod
- Job 37:15 places them
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
