Job 36

Elihu Extols God’s Greatness

36Then^a Elihu continued and said,

²“Bear with me a little longer, and I will explain,^b

for I still have something to say on God’s behalf.^c

³I will bring my knowledge from far away,

and I will ascribe righteousness to my maker,

⁴for truly my words^d are not falsehood;

one who has perfect knowledge is with you.^e

⁵Look, God is mighty but^f does not despise anyone;

he is mighty and good in understanding.^g

⁶He does not keep the wicked alive

but^h grants justice to the afflicted.

⁷He does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous,

butⁱ he sets them forever with kings on the throne, and they are exalted.

⁸“And if they are tied up with fetters,

if they are caught in the cords of misery,

⁹then^j he declares their work to them,

and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly.

¹⁰So^k he opens their ear to the discipline,

and he commands that they return from mischief.

¹¹If they listen and serve him,

they complete their days in prosperity and their years in pleasantness.

¹²But^l if they do not listen, they perish by the sword,

and they pass away without knowledge.

¹³And the godless of heart cherish anger;

they do not cry for help when he binds them.

¹⁴They die in their youth,^m

and their life ends among the male shrine prostitutes.

¹⁵He delivers the afflicted by his misery,

and he opens their ears by the adversity.

¹⁶And what’s more, he allured you out of distressⁿ

into a broad place, where in place of it was no constraint;

and what was set on your table is full of fatness.

¹⁷But^o you are obsessed with the judgment of the wicked;

judgment and justice take hold of you.

¹⁸Yes,^p it is wrath, so that it will not incite you into mockery;

and do not let the ransom’s greatness turn you aside.

¹⁹Will your cry for help sustain you without distress,

or^q all the efforts of your strength?

²⁰You must not long for the night,

to cut off people in their place.^r

²¹Take care, you must not turn to mischief,

for because of this you have been tried by misery.

²²“Look, God is exalted in his power;

who is a teacher like him?

²³Who has prescribed his way for him?

Or^s who says, ‘You have done wrong’?

²⁴Remember that you should extol his work,

of which people have sung.

²⁵All human beings have looked on it;

everyone watches from afar.

²⁶“Look, God is exalted, and we do not know him;

the number of his years is unsearchable.

²⁷Indeed, he draws up the drops of water;

he distills the rain into its mist,

²⁸which the clouds pour down;

they shower abundantly on human beings.

²⁹“Moreover, can anyone understand^t the spreading of clouds,

the thundering of his dwelling place?

³⁰Look, he scatters his lightning around him,

and he covers the roots of the sea.

³¹Indeed, he judges people by them;

he gives food in abundance.^u

³²He covers his hands with lightning,

and he commands it the place at which to strike.

³³His thundering tells about him;

the livestock also tell concerning what rises.^v