Chapter 35

Elihu Sharply Reproves Job

1 Then Elihu continued and said,

2 “Do you think this is according to ajustice?

Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?

3 “For you say, ‘aWhat advantage will it be to 1You?

bWhat profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’

4 “I will answer you,

And your friends with you.

5 “aLook at the heavens and see;

And behold bthe clouds—they are higher than you.

6 “If you have sinned, awhat do you accomplish against Him?

And if your transgressions are many, what do you do to Him?

7 “If you are righteous, awhat do you give to Him,

Or what does He receive from your hand?

8 “Your wickedness is for a man like yourself,

And your righteousness is for a son of man.

9 “Because of the amultitude of oppressions they cry out;

They cry for help because of the arm bof the mighty.

10 “But ano one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,

Who bgives songs in the night,

11 Who ateaches us more than the beasts of the earth

And makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’

12 “There athey cry out, but He does not answer

Because of the pride of evil men.

13 “Surely aGod will not listen to 1an empty cry,

Nor will the Almighty regard it.

14 “How much less when ayou say you do not behold Him,

The bcase is before Him, and you must wait for Him!

15 “And now, because He has not visited in His anger,

Nor has He acknowledged 1transgression well,

16 So Job opens his mouth 1emptily;

He multiplies words awithout knowledge.”

Chapter 36

Elihu Speaks of God’s Dealings with Men

1 Then Elihu continued and said,

2 “Wait for me a little, and I will show you

That there 1is yet more to be said in God’s behalf.

3 “I will fetch my knowledge from afar,

And I will ascribe arighteousness to my Maker.

4 “For truly amy words are not false;

One who is bperfect in knowledge is with you.

5 “Behold, God is mighty but does not adespise any;

He is bmighty in strength of understanding.

6 “He does not akeep the wicked alive,

But gives justice to bthe afflicted.

7 “He does not awithdraw His eyes from the righteous;

But bwith kings on the throne

He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.

8 “And if they are bound in fetters,

And are caught in the cords of aaffliction,

9 Then He declares to them their work

And their transgressions, that they have amagnified themselves.

10 “aHe opens their ear to instruction,

And bcommands that they return from evil.

11 “If they hear and serve Him,

They will aend their days in prosperity

And their years in bpleasures.

12 “But if they do not hear, they shall 1perish aby the sword

And they will bdie without knowledge.

13 “But the godless in heart lay up anger;

They do not cry for help when He binds them.

14 “1They die in youth,

And their life perishes among the acult prostitutes.

15 “He delivers the afflicted in 1their aaffliction,

And bopens their ear 2in time of oppression.

16 “Then indeed, He aenticed you from the mouth of distress,

Instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;

And that which was set on your table was full of 1fatness.

17 “But you were full of ajudgment on the wicked;

Judgment and justice take hold of you.

18 “Beware that awrath does not entice you to scoffing;

And do not let the greatness of the bransom turn you aside.

19 “Will your 1riches keep you from distress,

Or all the forces of your strength?

20 “Do not long for athe night,

When people 1vanish in their place.

21 “Be careful, do anot turn to evil,

For you have preferred this to baffliction.

22 “Behold, God is exalted in His power;

Who is a ateacher like Him?

23 “Who has appointed Him His way,

And who has said, ‘aYou have done wrong’?

24 “Remember that you should aexalt His work,

Of which men have bsung.

25 “All men have seen it;

Man beholds from afar.

26 “Behold, God is aexalted, and bwe do not know Him;

The cnumber of His years is unsearchable.

27 “For aHe draws up the drops of water,

They distill rain from 1the 2mist,

28 Which the clouds pour down,

They drip upon man abundantly.

29 “Can anyone understand the aspreading of the clouds,

The bthundering of His 1pavilion?

30 “Behold, He spreads His 1lightning about Him,

And He covers the depths of the sea.

31 “For by these He ajudges peoples;

He bgives food in abundance.

32 “He covers His hands with the 1lightning,

And acommands it to strike the mark.

33 “Its anoise declares 1His presence;

The cattle also, concerning what is coming up.

Chapter 37

Elihu Says God Is Back of the Storm

1 “At this also my heart trembles,

And leaps from its place.

2 “Listen closely to the athunder of His voice,

And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.

3 “Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,

And His 1lightning to the aends of the earth.

4 “After it, a voice roars;

He thunders with His majestic voice,

And He does not restrain 1the lightnings when His voice is heard.

5 “God athunders with His voice wondrously,

Doing bgreat things which we cannot comprehend.

6 “For to athe snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’

And to the 1bdownpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’

7 “He aseals the hand of every man,

That ball men may know His work.

8 “Then the beast goes into its alair

And remains in its 1den.

9 “Out of the 1asouth comes the storm,

And out of the 2north the cold.

10 “From the breath of God aice is made,

And the expanse of the waters is frozen.

11 “Also with moisture He aloads the thick cloud;

He bdisperses cthe cloud of His 1lightning.

12 “It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,

That 1it may do whatever He acommands 2it

On the bface of the inhabited earth.

13 “Whether for 1acorrection, or for bHis world,

Or for clovingkindness, He causes it to 2happen.

14 “Listen to this, O Job,

Stand and consider the wonders of God.

15 “Do you know how God establishes them,

And makes the 1lightning of His cloud to shine?

16 “Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds,

The awonders of one bperfect in knowledge,

17 You whose garments are hot,

When the land is still because of the south wind?

18 “Can you, with Him, aspread out the skies,

Strong as a molten mirror?

19 “Teach us what we shall say to Him;

We acannot arrange our case because of darkness.

20 “Shall it be told Him that I would speak?

1Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?

21 “Now 1men do not see the light which is bright in the skies;

But the wind has passed and cleared them.

22 “Out of the north comes golden splendor;

Around God is awesome majesty.

23 “The Almighty—awe cannot find Him;

He is bexalted in power

And cHe will not do violence dto justice and abundant righteousness.

24 “Therefore men afear Him;

He does not bregard any who are wise of heart.”