Job 36–37

36Elihu continued:

²“Bear with me a little longer and I will show you

that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.

³I get my knowledge from afar;^k

I will ascribe justice to my Maker.^l

⁴Be assured that my words are not false;^m

one who has perfect knowledgeⁿ is with you.^o

⁵“God is mighty,^p but despises no one;^q

he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.^r

⁶He does not keep the wicked alive^s

but gives the afflicted their rights.^t

⁷He does not take his eyes off the righteous;^u

he enthrones them with kings^v

and exalts them forever.^w

⁸But if people are bound in chains,^x

held fast by cords of affliction,^y

⁹he tells them what they have done—

that they have sinned arrogantly.^z

¹⁰He makes them listen^a to correction^b

and commands them to repent of their evil.^c

¹¹If they obey and serve him,^d

they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity^e

and their years in contentment.^f

¹²But if they do not listen,

they will perish by the sword^ag

and die without knowledge.^h

¹³“The godless in heartⁱ harbor resentment;^j

even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.^k

¹⁴They die in their youth,^l

among male prostitutes of the shrines.^m

¹⁵But those who sufferⁿ he delivers in their suffering;^o

he speaks^p to them in their affliction.^q

¹⁶“He is wooing^r you from the jaws of distress

to a spacious place^s free from restriction,^t

to the comfort of your table^u laden with choice food.^v

¹⁷But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked;^w

judgment and justice have taken hold of you.^x

¹⁸Be careful that no one entices you by riches;

do not let a large bribe^y turn you aside.^z

¹⁹Would your wealth^a or even all your mighty efforts

sustain you so you would not be in distress?

²⁰Do not long for the night,^b

to drag people away from their homes.^b

²¹Beware of turning to evil,^c

which you seem to prefer to affliction.^d

²²“God is exalted in his power.^e

Who is a teacher like him?^f

²³Who has prescribed his ways^g for him,^h

or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’?ⁱ

²⁴Remember to extol his work,^j

which people have praised in song.^k

²⁵All humanity has seen it;^l

mortals gaze on it from afar.

²⁶How great is God—beyond our understanding!^m

The number of his years is past finding out.ⁿ

²⁷“He draws up the drops of water,^o

which distill as rain to the streams^c;^p

²⁸the clouds pour down their moisture

and abundant showers^q fall on mankind.^r

²⁹Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,

how he thunders^s from his pavilion?^t

³⁰See how he scatters his lightning^u about him,

bathing the depths of the sea.^v

³¹This is the way he governs^d the nations^w

and provides food^x in abundance.^y

³²He fills his hands with lightning

and commands it to strike its mark.^z

³³His thunder announces the coming storm;^a

even the cattle make known its approach.^eb

37“At this my heart pounds^c

and leaps from its place.

²Listen!^d Listen to the roar of his voice,^e

to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.^f

³He unleashes his lightning^g beneath the whole heaven

and sends it to the ends of the earth.^h

⁴After that comes the sound of his roar;

he thundersⁱ with his majestic voice.^j

When his voice resounds,

he holds nothing back.

⁵God’s voice thunders^k in marvelous ways;^l

he does great things beyond our understanding.^m

⁶He says to the snow,ⁿ ‘Fall on the earth,’

and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’^o

⁷So that everyone he has made may know his work,^p

he stops all people from their labor.^aq

⁸The animals take cover;^r

they remain in their dens.^s

⁹The tempest comes out from its chamber,^t

the cold from the driving winds.^u

¹⁰The breath of God produces ice,

and the broad waters become frozen.^v

¹¹He loads the clouds with moisture;^w

he scatters his lightning^x through them.^y

¹²At his direction they swirl around

over the face of the whole earth

to do whatever he commands them.^z

¹³He brings the clouds to punish people,^a

or to water his earth and show his love.^b

¹⁴“Listen^c to this, Job;

stop and consider God’s wonders.^d

¹⁵Do you know how God controls the clouds

and makes his lightning^e flash?^f

¹⁶Do you know how the clouds hang poised,^g

those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?^h

¹⁷You who swelter in your clothes

when the land lies hushed under the south wind,ⁱ

¹⁸can you join him in spreading out the skies,^j

hard as a mirror of cast bronze?^k

¹⁹“Tell us what we should say to him;^l

we cannot draw up our case^m because of our darkness.ⁿ

²⁰Should he be told that I want to speak?

Would anyone ask to be swallowed up?

²¹Now no one can look at the sun,^o

bright as it is in the skies

after the wind has swept them clean.

²²Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;^p

God comes in awesome majesty.^q

²³The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;^r

in his justice^s and great righteousness, he does not oppress.^t

²⁴Therefore, people revere him,^u

for does he not have regard for all the wise^v in heart?^b”