Job 36:2–25

²“Put up with me a little longer.

I’ll show you I can speak up for God even more.

³I get my knowledge from far away.

I’ll announce that the One who made me is fair.

⁴You can be sure that my words are true.

One who has perfect knowledge is talking to you.

⁵“God is mighty, but he doesn’t hate people.

He’s mighty, and he knows exactly what he’s going to do.

⁶He doesn’t keep alive those who are evil.

Instead, he gives suffering people their rights.

⁷He watches over those who do what is right.

He puts them on thrones as if they were kings.

He honors them forever.

⁸But some people are held by chains.

They are tied up with painful ropes.

⁹God tells them what they’ve done.

He tells them they’ve become proud and sinned against him.

¹⁰He makes them listen when he corrects them.

He commands them to turn away

from the evil things they’ve done.

¹¹If they obey him and serve him,

they’ll enjoy a long and happy life.

Things will go well with them.

¹²But if they don’t listen to him,

they’ll be killed with swords.

They’ll die because they didn’t want to know anything about him.

¹³“Those whose hearts are ungodly are always angry.

Even when God puts them in chains,

they don’t cry out for help.

¹⁴They die while they are still young.

They die among the male prostitutes at the temples.

¹⁵But God saves suffering people while they are suffering.

He speaks to them while they are hurting.

¹⁶“Job, he wants to take you out of the jaws of trouble.

He wants to bring you to a wide and safe place.

He’d like to seat you at a table that is loaded with the best food.

¹⁷But now you are loaded down

with the punishment sinners will receive.

You have been judged fairly.

¹⁸Be careful that no one tempts you with riches.

Don’t take money from people who want special favors,

no matter how much it is.

¹⁹Can your wealth keep you out of trouble?

Can all of your mighty efforts keep you going?

²⁰Don’t long for the night to come

so you can drag people away from their homes.

²¹Be careful not to do what is evil.

You seem to like evil better than suffering!

²²“God is honored because he is so powerful.

He has no equal as a teacher.

²³Who has told him what he can do?

Who has said to him, ‘You have done what is wrong’?

²⁴Remember to thank him for what he’s done.

People have praised him with their songs.

²⁵Every human being has seen his work.

People can see it from far away.