Job 36

Elihu Speaks of God’s Dealings with Men

1 Then Elihu continued and said, 2 “Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there ^{▼▼ Lit are yet words for God}is yet more to be said in God’s behalf.
3 “I will fetch my knowledge from afar,
And I will ascribe ^brighteousness to my Maker.
4 “For truly ^cmy words are not false;
One who is ^dperfect in knowledge is with you.
5 “Behold, God is mighty but does not ^edespise any;
He is ^fmighty in strength of understanding.
6 “He does not ^gkeep the wicked alive,
But gives justice to ^hthe afflicted.
7 “He does not ⁱwithdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But ^jwith 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 ^kaffliction,
9 Then He declares to them their work
And their transgressions, that they have ^lmagnified themselves.
10 ^m“He opens their ear to instruction,
And ⁿcommands that they return from evil.
11 “If they hear and serve Him,
They will ^oend their days in prosperity
And their years in ^ppleasures.
12 “But if they do not hear, they shall ^{▼▼ Lit pass away}perish ^rby the sword
And they will ^sdie without knowledge.
13 “But the godless in heart lay up anger;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
14 ^{▼▼ Or Their soul dies}“They die in youth,
And their life perishes among the ^ucult prostitutes.
15 “He delivers the afflicted in ^{▼▼ Lit his}their ^waffliction,
And ^xopens their ear ^{▼▼ Or in adversity}in time of oppression.
16 “Then indeed, He ^zenticed you from the mouth of distress,
Instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;
And that which was set on your table was full of ^{▼▼ Or rich food}fatness.

17 “But you were full of ^abjudgment on the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 “Beware that ^acwrath does not entice you to scoffing;
And do not let the greatness of the ^adransom turn you aside.
19 “Will your ^{▼▼ Or cry}riches keep you from distress,
Or all the forces of your strength?
20 “Do not long for ^afthe night,
When people ^{▼▼ Lit go up}vanish in their place.
21 “Be careful, do ^ahnot turn to evil,
For you have preferred this to ^aiaffliction.
22 “Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a ^ajteacher like Him?
23 “Who has appointed Him His way,
And who has said, ‘ ^akYou have done wrong’?

24 “Remember that you should ^alexalt His work,
Of which men have ^amsung.
25 “All men have seen it;
Man beholds from afar.
26 “Behold, God is ^anexalted, and ^aowe do not know Him;
The ^apnumber of His years is unsearchable.
27 “For ^aqHe draws up the drops of water,
They distill rain from ^{▼▼ Lit its}the ^{▼▼ Or flood}mist,
28 Which the clouds pour down,
They drip upon man abundantly.
29 “Can anyone understand the ^atspreading of the clouds,
The ^authundering of His ^{▼▼ Lit booth}pavilion?
30 “Behold, He spreads His ^{▼▼ Lit light}lightning about Him,
And He covers the depths of the sea.
31 “For by these He ^axjudges peoples;
He ^aygives food in abundance.
32 “He covers His hands with the ^{▼▼ Lit light}lightning,
And ^bacommands it to strike the mark.
33 “Its ^bbnoise declares ^{▼▼ Lit concerning Him}His presence;
The cattle also, concerning what is coming up.