Job 36–37

36Elihu also proceeded, and said,

²Suffer me a little, and I will show thee;

For I have yet somewhat to say on God’s behalf.

³I will fetch my knowledge from afar,

And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

⁴For truly my words are not false:

One that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

⁵Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any:

He is mighty in strength of understanding.

⁶He preserveth not the life of the wicked,

But giveth to the afflicted their right.

⁷He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous:

But with kings upon the throne

He setteth them for ever, and they are exalted.

⁸And if they be bound in fetters,

And be taken in the cords of afflictions;

⁹Then he showeth them their work,

And their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.

¹⁰He openeth also their ear to instruction,

And commandeth that they return from iniquity.

¹¹If they hearken and serve him,

They shall spend their days in prosperity,

And their years in pleasures.

¹²But if they hearken not, they shall perish by the sword,

And they shall die without knowledge.

¹³But they that are godless in heart lay up anger:

They cry not for help when he bindeth them.

¹⁴They die in youth,

And their life perisheth among the unclean.

¹⁵He delivereth the afflicted by their affliction,

And openeth their ear in oppression.

¹⁶Yea, he would have allured thee out of distress

Into a broad place, where there is no straitness;

And that which is set on thy table would be full of fatness.

¹⁷But thou art full of the judgment of the wicked:

Judgment and justice take hold on thee.

¹⁸For let not wrath stir thee up against chastisements;

Neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside.

¹⁹Will thy cry avail, that thou be not in distress,

Or all the forces of thy strength?

²⁰Desire not the night,

When peoples are cut off in their place.

²¹Take heed, regard not iniquity:

For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

²²Behold, God doeth loftily in his power:

Who is a teacher like unto him?

²³Who hath enjoined him his way?

Or who can say, Thou hast wrought unrighteousness?

²⁴Remember that thou magnify his work,

Whereof men have sung.

²⁵All men have looked thereon;

Man beholdeth it afar off.

²⁶Behold, God is great, and we know him not;

The number of his years is unsearchable.

²⁷For he draweth up the drops of water,

Which distil in rain from his vapor,

²⁸Which the skies pour down

And drop upon man abundantly.

²⁹Yea, can any understand the spreadings of the clouds,

The thunderings of his pavilion?

³⁰Behold, he spreadeth his light around him;

And he covereth the bottom of the sea.

³¹For by these he judgeth the peoples;

He giveth food in abundance.

³²He covereth his hands with the lightning,

And giveth it a charge that it strike the mark.

³³The noise thereof telleth concerning him,

The cattle also concerning the storm that cometh up.

37Yea, at this my heart trembleth,

And is moved out of its place.

²Hear, oh, hear the noise of his voice,

And the sound that goeth out of his mouth.

³He sendeth it forth under the whole heaven,

And his lightning unto the ends of the earth.

⁴After it a voice roareth;

He thundereth with the voice of his majesty;

And he restraineth not the lightnings when his voice is heard

⁵God thundereth marvellously with his voice;

Great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.

⁶For he saith to the snow, Fall thou on the earth;

Likewise to the shower of rain,

And to the showers of his mighty rain.

⁷He sealeth up the hand of every man,

That all men whom he hath made may know it.

⁸Then the beasts go into coverts,

And remain in their dens.

⁹Out of the chamber of the south cometh the storm,

And cold out of the north.

¹⁰By the breath of God ice is given;

And the breadth of the waters is straitened.

¹¹Yea, he ladeth the thick cloud with moisture;

He spreadeth abroad the cloud of his lightning:

¹²And it is turned round about by his guidance,

That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them

Upon the face of the habitable world,

¹³Whether it be for correction, or for his land,

Or for lovingkindness, that he cause it to come.

¹⁴Hearken unto this, O Job:

Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

¹⁵Dost thou know how God layeth his charge upon them,

And causeth the lightning of his cloud to shine?

¹⁶Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds,

The wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge?

¹⁷How thy garments are warm,

When the earth is still by reason of the south wind?

¹⁸Canst thou with him spread out the sky,

Which is strong as a molten mirror?

¹⁹Teach us what we shall say unto him;

For we cannot set our speech in order by reason of darkness.

²⁰Shall it be told him that I would speak?

Or should a man wish that he were swallowed up?

²¹And now men see not the light which is bright in the skies;

But the wind passeth, and cleareth them.

²²Out of the north cometh golden splendor:

God hath upon him terrible majesty.

²³Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out:

He is excellent in power;

And in justice and plenteous righteousness he will not afflict.

²⁴Men do therefore fear him:

He regardeth not any that are wise of heart.