Job 36–37

¹And Elihu addeth and saith:— ²Honour me a little, and I shew thee, That yet for God are words. ³I lift up my knowledge from afar, And to my Maker I ascribe righteousness. ⁴For, truly, my words are not false, The perfect in knowledge is with thee.

⁵Lo, God is mighty, and despiseth not, Mighty in power and heart. ⁶He reviveth not the wicked, And the judgment of the poor appointeth; ⁷He withdraweth not from the righteous His eyes, And from kings on the throne, And causeth them to sit for ever, and they are high, ⁸And if prisoners in fetters They are captured with cords of affliction, ⁹Then He declareth to them their work, And their transgressions, Because they have become mighty, ¹⁰And He uncovereth their ear for instruction, And saith that they turn back from iniquity. ¹¹If they do hear and serve, They complete their days in good, And their years in pleasantness. ¹²And if they do not hearken, By the dart they pass away, And expire without knowledge. ¹³And the profane in heart set the face, They cry not when He hath bound them. ¹⁴Their soul dieth in youth, And their life among the defiled.

¹⁵He draweth out the afflicted in his affliction, And uncovereth in oppression their ear. ¹⁶And also He moved thee from a strait place, To a broad place—no straitness under it, And the sitting beyond of thy table Hath been full of fatness. ¹⁷And the judgment of the wicked thou hast fulfilled, Judgment and justice are upheld—because of fury, ¹⁸Lest He move thee with a stroke, And the abundance of an atonement turn thee not aside. ¹⁹Doth He value thy riches? He hath gold, and all the forces of power. ²⁰Desire not the night, For the going up of peoples in their stead. ²¹Take heed—do not turn unto iniquity, For on this thou hast fixed Rather than on affliction. ²²Lo, God doth sit on high by His power, Who is like Him—a teacher? ²³Who hath appointed unto Him his way? And who said, ‘Thou hast done iniquity?’

²⁴Remember that thou magnify His work That men have beheld. ²⁵All men have looked on it, Man looketh attentively from afar. ²⁶Lo, God is high, And we know not the number of His years, Yea, there is no searching. ²⁷When He doth diminish droppings of the waters, They refine rain according to its vapour, ²⁸Which clouds do drop, They distil on man abundantly. ²⁹Yea, doth any understand The spreadings out of a cloud? The noises of His tabernacle? ³⁰Lo, He hath spread over it His light, And the roots of the sea He hath covered, ³¹For by them He doth judge peoples, He giveth food in abundance. ³²By two palms He hath covered the light, And layeth a charge over it in meeting, ³³He sheweth by it to his friend substance, Anger against perversity.

Chapter 37

¹Also, at this my heart trembleth, And it moveth from its place. ²Hearken diligently to the trembling of His voice, Yea, the sound from His mouth goeth forth. ³Under the whole heavens He directeth it, And its light is over the skirts of the earth. ⁴After it roar doth a voice—He thundereth with the voice of His excellency, And He doth not hold them back, When His voice is heard. ⁵God thundereth with His voice wonderfully, Doing great things and we know not.

⁶For to snow He saith, ‘Be on the earth.’ And the small rain and great rain of His power. ⁷Into the hand of every man he sealeth, For the knowledge by all men of His work. ⁸And enter doth the beast into covert, And in its habitations it doth continue. ⁹From the inner chamber cometh a hurricane, And from scatterings winds—cold, ¹⁰From the breath of God is frost given, And the breadth of waters is straitened, ¹¹Yea, by filling He doth press out a cloud, Scatter a cloud doth His light. ¹²And it is turning itself round by His counsels, For their doing all He commandeth them, On the face of the habitable earth. ¹³Whether for a rod, or for His land, Or for kindness—He doth cause it to come.

¹⁴Hear this, O Job, Stand and consider the wonders of God. ¹⁵Dost thou know when God doth place them, And caused to shine the light of His cloud? ¹⁶Dost thou know the balancings of a cloud? The wonders of the Perfect in knowledge? ¹⁷How thy garments are warm, In the quieting of the earth from the south? ¹⁸Thou hast made an expanse with Him For the clouds—strong as a hard mirror! ¹⁹Let us know what we say to Him, We set not in array because of darkness. ²⁰Is it declared to Him that I speak? If a man hath spoken, surely he is swallowed up.

²¹And now, they have not seen the light, Bright it is in the clouds, And the wind hath passed by and cleanseth them. ²²From the golden north it cometh, Beside God is fearful honour. ²³The Mighty! we have not found Him out, High in power and judgment, He doth not answer! And abundant in righteousness, ²⁴Therefore do men fear Him, He seeth not any of the wise of heart.

Chapter 38