Job 36

Elihu Speaks of God’s Dealings with Mankind

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 still more to be said on God’s behalf.
3 “I will bring my knowledge from afar,
And 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 ^ereject anyone;
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 shackles,
And are caught in the snares of ^kmisery,
9 Then He declares to them their work
And their wrongdoings, that they have ^lbeen arrogant.
10 “ ^mHe opens their ears to instruction,
And ⁿcommands that they return from injustice.
11 “If they listen and serve Him,
They will ^oend their days in prosperity,
And their years in ^phappiness.
12 “But if they do not listen, they will ^{▼▼Lit pass away}perish ^rby the sword,
And ^sdie without knowledge.
13 “But the godless in heart nurture anger;
They do not call for help when He binds them.
14 “ ^{▼▼Lit Their soul dies}They die in youth,
And their life perishes among the ^ucult prostitutes.
15 “He rescues the afflicted in ^{▼▼Lit his}their ^wmisery,
And ^xopens their ears in time of oppression.
16 “Then indeed, He induced you away from the mouth of distress,
And instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;
And your table was full of ^{▼▼Or fatness}rich food.

17 “But you were full of ^zjudgment on the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 “Beware that ^aawrath does not entice you to mockery;
And do not let the greatness of the ^abransom turn you aside.
19 “Will your cry for help keep you from distress,
Or all the exertions of your strength?
20 “Do not long for ^acthe night,
When people ^{▼▼Lit go up}vanish in their places.
21 “Be careful, do ^aenot turn to evil,
For you preferred this to ^afmisery.
22 “Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a ^agteacher like Him?
23 “Who has appointed Him His way,
And who has said, ‘ ^ahYou have done wrong’?

24 “Remember that you are to ^aiexalt His work,
Of which people have ^ajsung.
25 “All people have seen it;
Mankind looks at it from afar.
26 “Behold, God is ^akexalted, and ^alwe do not know Him;
The ^amnumber of His years is unsearchable.
27 “For ^anHe draws up the drops of water;
They distill rain from its ^{▼▼Or mist}celestial stream,
28 Which clouds pour down;
They drip upon mankind abundantly.
29 “Can anyone understand the ^apspreading of the clouds,
The ^aqthundering 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 them He ^atjudges peoples;
He ^augives food in abundance.
32 “He covers His hands with the ^{▼▼Lit light}lightning,
And ^awcommands it to strike the target.
33 “Its ^axthundering voice declares ^{▼▼Lit concerning Him}His presence;
The livestock also, concerning what is coming up.