Elihu Speaks of God’s Dealings with Men
36 Then Elihu continued and said,
2 “Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there [a]is yet more to be said in God’s behalf.
3 “I will fetch my knowledge from afar,
And I will ascribe (A)righteousness to my Maker.
4 “For truly (B)my words are not false;
One who is (C)perfect in knowledge is with you.
5 “Behold, God is mighty but does not (D)despise any;
He is (E)mighty in strength of understanding.
6 “He does not (F)keep the wicked alive,
But gives justice to (G)the afflicted.
7 “He does not (H)withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But (I)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 (J)affliction,
9 Then He declares to them their work
And their transgressions, that they have (K)magnified themselves.
10 “(L)He opens their ear to instruction,
And (M)commands that they return from evil.
11 “If they hear and serve Him,
They will (N)end their days in prosperity
And their years in (O)pleasures.
12 “But if they do not hear, they shall [b]perish (P)by the sword
And they will (Q)die without knowledge.
13 “But the godless in heart lay up anger;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
14 “[c]They die in youth,
And their life perishes among the (R)cult prostitutes.
15 “He delivers the afflicted in [d]their (S)affliction,
And (T)opens their ear [e]in time of oppression.
16 “Then indeed, He (U)enticed 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 [f]fatness.
17 “But you were full of (V)judgment on the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 “Beware that (W)wrath does not entice you to scoffing;
And do not let the greatness of the (X)ransom turn you aside.
19 “Will your [g]riches keep you from distress,
Or all the forces of your strength?
20 “Do not long for (Y)the night,
When people [h]vanish in their place.
21 “Be careful, do (Z)not turn to evil,
For you have preferred this to (AA)affliction.
22 “Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a (AB)teacher like Him?
23 “Who has appointed Him His way,
And who has said, ‘(AC)You have done wrong’?
24 “Remember that you should (AD)exalt His work,
Of which men have (AE)sung.
25 “All men have seen it;
Man beholds from afar.
26 “Behold, God is (AF)exalted, and (AG)we do not know Him;
The (AH)number of His years is unsearchable.
27 “For (AI)He draws up the drops of water,
They distill rain from [i]the [j]mist,
28 Which the clouds pour down,
They drip upon man abundantly.
29 “Can anyone understand the (AJ)spreading of the clouds,
The (AK)thundering of His [k]pavilion?
30 “Behold, He spreads His [l]lightning about Him,
And He covers the depths of the sea.
31 “For by these He (AL)judges peoples;
He (AM)gives food in abundance.
32 “He covers His hands with the [m]lightning,
And (AN)commands it to strike the mark.
33 “Its (AO)noise declares [n]His presence;
The cattle also, concerning what is coming up.
Footnotes
- Job 36:2 Lit are yet words for God
- Job 36:12 Lit pass away
- Job 36:14 Or Their soul dies
- Job 36:15 Lit his
- Job 36:15 Or in adversity
- Job 36:16 Or rich food
- Job 36:19 Or cry
- Job 36:20 Lit go up
- Job 36:27 Lit its
- Job 36:27 Or flood
- Job 36:29 Lit booth
- Job 36:30 Lit light
- Job 36:32 Lit light
- Job 36:33 Lit concerning Him
Cross references
- Job 36:3 : Job 8:3; 37:23
- Job 36:4 : Job 33:3
- Job 36:4 : Job 37:16
- Job 36:5 : Ps 22:24; 69:33; 102:17
- Job 36:5 : Job 12:13
- Job 36:6 : Job 8:22; 34:26
- Job 36:6 : Job 5:15
- Job 36:7 : Ps 33:18; 34:15
- Job 36:7 : Job 5:11; Ps 113:8
- Job 36:8 : Job 36:15, 21
- Job 36:9 : Job 15:25
- Job 36:10 : Job 33:16; 36:15
- Job 36:10 : 2 Kin 17:13; Job 36:21; Jon 3:8
- Job 36:11 : 1 Tim 4:8
- Job 36:11 : Ps 16:11
- Job 36:12 : Job 15:22
- Job 36:12 : Job 4:21
- Job 36:14 : Deut 23:17
- Job 36:15 : Job 36:8, 21
- Job 36:15 : Job 36:10
- Job 36:16 : Hos 2:14
- Job 36:17 : Job 22:5, 10, 11
- Job 36:18 : Jon 4:4, 9
- Job 36:18 : Job 33:24
- Job 36:20 : Job 34:20, 25
- Job 36:21 : Job 36:10; Ps 31:6; 66:18
- Job 36:21 : Job 36:8, 15; Heb 11:25
- Job 36:22 : Job 35:11
- Job 36:23 : Deut 32:4; Job 8:3
- Job 36:24 : Ps 92:5; Rev 15:3
- Job 36:24 : Ex 15:1; Judg 5:1; 1 Chr 16:9; Ps 59:16; 138:5
- Job 36:26 : Job 11:7-9; 37:23
- Job 36:26 : 1 Cor 13:12
- Job 36:26 : Job 10:5; Ps 90:2; 102:24, 27; Heb 1:12
- Job 36:27 : Job 5:10; 36:26-29; 37:6, 11; 38:28; Ps 147:8
- Job 36:29 : Job 37:11, 16
- Job 36:29 : Job 26:14
- Job 36:31 : Job 37:13
- Job 36:31 : Ps 104:27; 136:25; Acts 14:17
- Job 36:32 : Job 37:11, 12, 15
- Job 36:33 : Job 37:2