Elihu Speaks of God’s Dealings with Men
36 Elihu continued and said,
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“Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you,
That there is yet more to say on God’s behalf.
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“I will bring my knowledge from afar,
And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
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“For truly my words are not false;
He who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
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“Behold, God is mighty, and yet does not despise anyone [nor regard any as trivial];
He is mighty in the strength and power of understanding.
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“He does not prolong the life of the wicked,
But gives the afflicted their justice.
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“He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous [those in right standing with Him];
But with kings upon the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
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“And if they are bound in bonds [of adversity],
And held by cords of affliction,(A)
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Then He declares to them [the true character of] their deeds
And their transgressions, that they have acted arrogantly [with presumption and notions of self-sufficiency].
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“He opens their ears to instruction and discipline,
And commands that they return from evil.
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“If they hear and serve Him,
They will end their days in prosperity
And their years in pleasantness and joy.
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“But if they do not hear and obey, they will die by the sword [of God’s destructive judgments]
And they will die [in ignorance] without [true] knowledge.
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“But the godless in heart store up anger [at the divine discipline];
They do not cry [to Him] for help when He binds them [with cords of affliction].(B)
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“They die in youth,
And their life ends among the [a]cult prostitutes.(C)
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“He rescues the afflicted in their affliction,
And opens their ears [so that they pay attention to His voice] in times of oppression.
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“Then indeed, He enticed you from the mouth of distress and confinement,
Into a broad place where there is no constraint or distress;
And that which was set on your table was full of fatness (rich food).
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“But you [Job] were full of judgment on the wicked,
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
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“Do not let wrath entice you into scoffing;
And do not let the greatness and the extent of the ransom turn you aside.
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“Will your wealth [be sufficient to] keep you from [the confinement of] distress,
Or will all the force of your strength do it?
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“Do not long for the night,
When people vanish from their places.
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“Take heed and be careful, do not turn to wickedness,
For you have chosen this [the vice of complaining against God] rather than [learning from] affliction.
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“Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a ruler or a teacher like Him?
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“Who has appointed God His way,
And who can say [to Him], ‘You have done wrong’?
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“Remember that you should magnify God’s work,
Of which men have sung.
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“All men have seen God’s work;
Man looks at it from a distance.
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“Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him;
The number of His years is unsearchable.(D)
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“For He draws up the drops of water,
They distill rain from the mist,
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Which the clouds pour down,
They drop abundantly upon mankind.”
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“Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds
Or the thundering of His pavilion?(E)
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“Behold, He spreads His lightning around Him [against the dark clouds],
And He covers the depths of the sea.
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“For by these [mighty acts] He judges the peoples;
He gives food in abundance.
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“He covers His hands with the lightning,
And commands it to strike the mark.
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“His thundering voice declares [awesomely] His presence;
The cattle also are told of His coming storm.
Footnotes
- Job 36:14 I.e. those practicing sodomy and prostitution in pagan religious rites.