Beginning
Elihu Answers Job
35 Then Elihu answered and said,
2 “Do you think this is according to (A)justice?
Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
3 For you say, ‘(B)What use will it be to [a]You?
(C)What profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’
4 I will respond to you,
And your friends with you.
5 (D)Look at the heavens and see;
And perceive (E)the clouds—they are higher than you.
6 If you have sinned, (F)what do you accomplish against Him?
And if your transgressions are many, what do you do to Him?
7 If you are righteous, (G)what do you give to Him,
Or what does He receive from your hand?
8 Your wickedness is for a man like yourself,
And your righteousness is for a son of man.
9 “Because of (H)many oppressions they cry out;
They cry for help because of the arm (I)of many oppressors.
10 But (J)no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
Who (K)gives songs of praise in the night,
11 Who (L)teaches us more than the beasts of the earth
And makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’
12 There (M)they cry out, but He does not answer
Because of the pride of evil men.
13 Surely (N)God will not listen to [b]an empty cry,
Nor will the Almighty perceive it.
14 How much less when (O)you say you do not perceive Him,
The (P)case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!
15 And now, because He has not visited in His anger,
Nor has He acknowledged [c]transgression well,
16 So Job opens his mouth vainly;
He multiplies words (Q)without knowledge.”
Elihu Says God Gives the Afflicted Justice
36 Then Elihu continued and said,
2 “Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there [d]is yet more to be said in God’s behalf.
3 I will take up my knowledge from afar,
And I will ascribe (R)righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly (S)my words are not a lie;
One who is [e](T)perfect in knowledge is with you.
5 Behold, God is mighty but does not (U)reject;
He is (V)mighty in the power of His heart.
6 He does not (W)keep the wicked alive,
But gives justice to (X)the afflicted.
7 He does not (Y)withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But (Z)with kings on the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
8 And if they are bound in fetters,
And are caught in the cords of (AA)affliction,
9 Then He declares to them their work
And their transgressions, that they have (AB)magnified themselves.
10 (AC)He opens their ear to discipline,
And (AD)says that they return from wickedness.
11 If they hear and serve Him,
They will (AE)end their days in prosperity
And their years in (AF)pleasures.
12 But if they do not hear, they shall pass away (AG)by a weapon
And they will (AH)breathe their last without knowledge.
13 But the godless in heart lay up anger;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
14 [f]They die in youth,
And their life perishes among the (AI)cult prostitutes.
15 He delivers the afflicted in [g]their (AJ)affliction,
And (AK)opens their ear in [h]time of oppression.
16 Then indeed, He (AL)enticed you from the mouth of distress,
Instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;
And the comfort of your table full of [i]fatness.
17 “But you were full of (AM)judgment on the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 Beware lest (AN)wrath entice you to scoffing;
And do not let the greatness of the (AO)atonement turn you aside.
19 Will your [j]cries keep you from distress,
Or all the forces of your power?
20 Do not long for (AP)the night,
When people [k]vanish in their place.
21 Be careful, do (AQ)not turn to wickedness,
For you have chosen this to (AR)affliction.
22 Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a (AS)teacher like Him?
23 Who has appointed Him His way,
And who has said, ‘(AT)You have worked out [l]unrighteousness’?
24 “Remember that you should (AU)exalt His work,
Of which men have (AV)sung.
25 All men have beheld it;
Man looks from afar.
26 Behold, God is (AW)exalted, and (AX)we do not know Him;
The (AY)number of His years is unsearchable.
27 For (AZ)He draws up the drops of water,
They distill rain for His [m]stream,
28 Which the clouds pour down,
They drip upon man abundantly.
29 Can anyone discern the (BA)spreading of the clouds,
The (BB)thundering of His [n]pavilion?
30 Behold, He spreads His [o]lightning about Him,
And He covers the depths of the sea.
31 For by these He (BC)judges peoples;
He (BD)gives food in abundance.
32 He covers His hands with the [p]lightning,
And (BE)commands it to strike the mark.
33 Its (BF)thundering declares about Him;
The cattle also, concerning what is coming up.
Elihu Speaks of God’s Voice
37 “At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
2 [q]Listen closely to the (BG)thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
3 Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His [r]lightning to the (BH)ends of the earth.
4 After it, a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain [s]the lightnings when His voice is heard.
5 God (BI)thunders with His voice marvelously,
Doing (BJ)great things which we do not know.
6 For to (BK)the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the (BL)downpour of rain and the downpour of rains, ‘Be strong.’
7 He (BM)seals the hand of every man,
That (BN)all men may know His work.
8 Then the beast goes into its (BO)lair
And dwells in its [t]den.
9 Out of the [u](BP)south comes the storm,
And out of the [v]north the cold.
10 From the breath of God (BQ)ice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
11 Also with moisture He (BR)loads the thick cloud;
He (BS)scatters (BT)the cloud of His [w]lightning.
12 It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That [x]it may do whatever He (BU)commands [y]it
On the (BV)face of the inhabited earth.
13 Whether for [z](BW)correction, or for (BX)His world,
Or for (BY)lovingkindness, He causes it to [aa]happen.
14 “Give ear to this, O Job,
Stand and carefully consider the wondrous deeds of God.
15 Do you know how God establishes them,
And makes the [ab]lightning of His cloud to shine?
16 Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds,
The (BZ)wonders of one [ac](CA)perfect in knowledge,
17 You whose garments are hot,
When the land is quiet because of the south wind?
18 Can you, with Him, (CB)spread out the skies,
Strong as a molten mirror?
19 Make us know what we shall say to Him;
We (CC)cannot arrange our case because of darkness.
20 Shall it be recounted to Him that I would speak?
[ad]If a man says a word, will He indeed be swallowed up?
21 “So now [ae]men do not see the light which is bright in the skies;
But the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 Out of the north comes golden splendor;
Around God is fearsome majesty.
23 The Almighty—(CD)we cannot find Him;
He is (CE)exalted in power
And (CF)He will not afflict (CG)justice and abundant righteousness.
24 Therefore men (CH)fear Him;
He does not (CI)regard any who are wise of heart.”
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