36 Elihu continued:
2 “Bear with me a little longer and I will show you
that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.
3 I get my knowledge from afar;(A)
I will ascribe justice to my Maker.(B)
4 Be assured that my words are not false;(C)
one who has perfect knowledge(D) is with you.(E)
5 “God is mighty,(F) but despises no one;(G)
he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.(H)
6 He does not keep the wicked alive(I)
but gives the afflicted their rights.(J)
7 He does not take his eyes off the righteous;(K)
he enthrones them with kings(L)
and exalts them forever.(M)
8 But if people are bound in chains,(N)
held fast by cords of affliction,(O)
9 he tells them what they have done—
that they have sinned arrogantly.(P)
10 He makes them listen(Q) to correction(R)
and commands them to repent of their evil.(S)
11 If they obey and serve him,(T)
they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity(U)
and their years in contentment.(V)
12 But if they do not listen,
they will perish by the sword[a](W)
and die without knowledge.(X)
13 “The godless in heart(Y) harbor resentment;(Z)
even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.(AA)
14 They die in their youth,(AB)
among male prostitutes of the shrines.(AC)
15 But those who suffer(AD) he delivers in their suffering;(AE)
he speaks(AF) to them in their affliction.(AG)
16 “He is wooing(AH) you from the jaws of distress
to a spacious place(AI) free from restriction,(AJ)
to the comfort of your table(AK) laden with choice food.(AL)
17 But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked;(AM)
judgment and justice have taken hold of you.(AN)
18 Be careful that no one entices you by riches;
do not let a large bribe(AO) turn you aside.(AP)
19 Would your wealth(AQ) or even all your mighty efforts
sustain you so you would not be in distress?
20 Do not long for the night,(AR)
to drag people away from their homes.[b]
21 Beware of turning to evil,(AS)
which you seem to prefer to affliction.(AT)
22 “God is exalted in his power.(AU)
Who is a teacher like him?(AV)
23 Who has prescribed his ways(AW) for him,(AX)
or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’?(AY)
24 Remember to extol his work,(AZ)
which people have praised in song.(BA)
25 All humanity has seen it;(BB)
mortals gaze on it from afar.
26 How great is God—beyond our understanding!(BC)
The number of his years is past finding out.(BD)
27 “He draws up the drops of water,(BE)
which distill as rain to the streams[c];(BF)
28 the clouds pour down their moisture
and abundant showers(BG) fall on mankind.(BH)
29 Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,
how he thunders(BI) from his pavilion?(BJ)
30 See how he scatters his lightning(BK) about him,
bathing the depths of the sea.(BL)
31 This is the way he governs[d] the nations(BM)
and provides food(BN) in abundance.(BO)
32 He fills his hands with lightning
and commands it to strike its mark.(BP)
33 His thunder announces the coming storm;(BQ)
even the cattle make known its approach.[e](BR)
Footnotes
- Job 36:12 Or will cross the river
- Job 36:20 The meaning of the Hebrew for verses 18-20 is uncertain.
- Job 36:27 Or distill from the mist as rain
- Job 36:31 Or nourishes
- Job 36:33 Or announces his coming— / the One zealous against evil
Cross references
- Job 36:3 : S Job 6:28
- Job 36:3 : S Job 4:17
- Job 36:4 : S Job 6:28; S 13:6
- Job 36:4 : Job 37:5, 16, 23
- Job 36:4 : S Job 32:17
- Job 36:5 : S Job 9:4
- Job 36:5 : Ps 5:2; 22:24; 31:22; 69:33; 102:17; 103:10
- Job 36:5 : S Nu 23:19; Ro 11:29
- Job 36:6 : S Job 34:26
- Job 36:6 : S Job 4:10
- Job 36:7 : S Job 11:11; Ps 11:5; 33:18; 34:15; Mt 6:18
- Job 36:7 : Ps 113:8; Isa 22:23
- Job 36:7 : S 1Sa 2:7-8; S Job 4:7
- Job 36:8 : S 2Sa 3:34; 2Ki 23:33; Ps 107:10, 14
- Job 36:8 : ver 10, 15, 21; Ps 119:67, 71
- Job 36:9 : S Job 15:25
- Job 36:10 : S Job 33:16
- Job 36:10 : S Job 5:17
- Job 36:10 : S ver 8; S Jdg 6:8; S Job 34:33; 1Th 5:22
- Job 36:11 : S Lev 26:33; Dt 28:1; Isa 1:19; Hag 1:12
- Job 36:11 : S Dt 30:15; S Job 8:7
- Job 36:11 : S Ex 8:22; S Dt 8:1; Jn 14:21; 1Ti 4:8
- Job 36:12 : S Lev 26:38; S Job 15:22
- Job 36:12 : S Job 4:21; Eph 4:18
- Job 36:13 : S Job 15:12; Ro 2:5
- Job 36:13 : S Job 5:2
- Job 36:13 : S Job 4:17; Am 4:11
- Job 36:14 : S Job 15:32
- Job 36:14 : S Dt 23:17
- Job 36:15 : S Job 5:15
- Job 36:15 : 2Co 12:10
- Job 36:15 : S Job 33:16
- Job 36:15 : S ver 8; S Job 34:33
- Job 36:16 : Hos 2:14
- Job 36:16 : S 2Sa 22:20; Ps 18:19
- Job 36:16 : Ps 118:5
- Job 36:16 : Ps 23:5; 78:19
- Job 36:16 : S Ge 17:1; S Job 15:11
- Job 36:17 : S Job 20:29
- Job 36:17 : Job 22:11
- Job 36:18 : S Ex 23:8; Am 5:12
- Job 36:18 : S Job 34:33
- Job 36:19 : Ps 49:6; Jer 9:23
- Job 36:20 : Job 34:20, 25
- Job 36:21 : S Job 34:33; Ps 66:18
- Job 36:21 : S ver 8; Heb 11:25
- Job 36:22 : S Job 5:9; S 9:4
- Job 36:22 : S Job 21:22; S Ro 11:34
- Job 36:23 : Job 27:11
- Job 36:23 : S Job 34:13; Ro 11:33
- Job 36:23 : S Ge 18:25; S Job 34:10
- Job 36:24 : 1Ch 16:24; Ps 35:27; 92:5; 111:2; 138:5; 145:10
- Job 36:24 : S Ex 15:1; Rev 15:3
- Job 36:25 : Ro 1:20
- Job 36:26 : S Job 5:9; 1Co 13:12
- Job 36:26 : S Ge 21:33; S Job 10:5; Heb 1:12
- Job 36:27 : S Job 26:8
- Job 36:27 : S 2Sa 1:21; Job 28:26; 38:28; Isa 55:10
- Job 36:28 : Ps 65:10; 72:6; Joel 2:23
- Job 36:28 : S Job 5:10; S 22:11; S 28:26; Mt 5:45
- Job 36:29 : Ps 29:3; Jer 10:13
- Job 36:29 : S Job 9:6; 37:16; Ps 18:7-15; 19:4, 5; 104:2; Pr 8:28; Isa 40:22
- Job 36:30 : Ex 19:16; Job 37:11, 15; Ps 18:12, 14; 97:4; Jer 10:13; Hab 3:11
- Job 36:30 : Ps 68:22; Isa 51:10
- Job 36:31 : Dt 28:23-24; 1Ki 17:1; Job 37:13; Am 4:7-8
- Job 36:31 : Ps 145:15
- Job 36:31 : Ps 104:14-15, 27-28; Isa 30:23; Ac 14:17
- Job 36:32 : S Job 28:24; 37:12, 15; Ps 18:14; 29:7-9
- Job 36:33 : Job 37:5; 40:9
- Job 36:33 : S Job 28:26