Keraia
Wisdom and Poetry

Job 36

Elihu Describes God’s Power

1And Elihu continued:

1And Elihu added and said:

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

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

2“Surround unto me a little, and I will show you, that there are words yet to God.

3I get my knowledge from afar,

and I will ascribe justice to my Maker.

3I will lift up my knowledge from afar, and to my Maker I will ascribe righteousness.

4For truly my words are free of falsehood;

one perfect in knowledge is with you.

4For truly, my words are not false; the one complete in knowledge is with you.

5Indeed, God is mighty, but He despises no one;

He is mighty in strength of understanding.

5Behold, God is mighty, and He does not despise; He is mighty in strength of heart.

6He does not keep the wicked alive,

but He grants justice to the afflicted.

6He does not keep the wicked alive, and He gives justice to the afflicted.

7He does not take His eyes off the righteous,

but He enthrones them with kings

and exalts them forever.

7He does not take away His eyes from the righteous, but they are with kings on the throne; and He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.

8And if men are bound with chains,

caught in cords of affliction,

8And if they are bound in the fetters, caught in the cords of affliction,

9then He tells them their deeds

and how arrogantly they have transgressed.

9then he declares to them their work and their transgressions, because they magnified themselves.

10He opens their ears to correction

and commands that they turn from iniquity.

10And He opens their ear to correction, and He says that they should turn back from iniquity.

11If they obey and serve Him,

then they end their days in prosperity

and their years in happiness.

11If they do hear and serve, they will complete their days in good, and their years in pleasantness.

12But if they do not obey,

then they perish by the sword

and die without knowledge.

12And if they do not obey, by a weapon they shall pass away, and they shall die as without knowledge.

13The godless in heart harbor resentment;

even when He binds them, they do not cry for help.

13And the godless of heart set the nose; they do not cry out when He binds them.

14They die in their youth,

among the male shrine prostitutes.

14Their soul dies in youth, and their life among the male shrine prostitutes.

15God rescues the afflicted by their affliction

and opens their ears in oppression.

15He rescues the afflicted one by his affliction, and uncovers their ear by oppression.

16Indeed, He drew you from the jaws of distress

to a spacious and broad place,

to a table full of richness.

16And indeed He has drawn you from the mouth of distress, into a broad place without constraint under it, and the resting of your table is full of richness.

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

judgment and justice have seized you.

17And you are filled with the judgment of the wicked; judgment and justice take hold—

18Be careful that no one lures you with riches;

do not let a large bribe lead you astray.

18for wrath, lest it entice you with mocking, and a large bribe not let it stretch you.

19Can your wealth or all your mighty effort

keep you from distress?

19Can your opulence make arrangement in time of distress, or all the forces of strength?

20Do not long for the night,

when people vanish from their homes.

20Do not long for the night, for the coming up of peoples in place of them.

21Be careful not to turn to iniquity,

for this you have preferred to affliction.

21Take heed not to turn to iniquity, for upon this you have been chosen by affliction.

22Behold, God is exalted in His power.

Who is a teacher like Him?

22Behold, God is exalted in His power; who is a teacher like Him?

23Who has appointed His way for Him,

or told Him, ‘You have done wrong’?

23Who has appointed for Him His way? Or who has said, ‘You have done unrighteousness’?

24Remember to magnify His work,

which men have praised in song.

24Remember that you should magnify His work, of which men have sung.

25All mankind has seen it;

men behold it from afar.

25Every man has gazed on it; mankind looks on it from afar.

26Indeed, God is great—beyond our knowledge;

the number of His years is unsearchable.

26Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him, and there is no searching the number of His years.

27For He draws up drops of water

which distill the rain from the mist,

27For He draws up drops of water; they distill as rain from the mist,

28which the clouds pour out

and shower abundantly on mankind.

28which the clouds pour down; they drop upon man in abundance.

29Furthermore, who can understand how the clouds spread out,

how the thunder roars from His pavilion?

29Indeed, if one will understand the spreading out of a cloud, the noises from His pavilion?

30See how He scatters His lightning around Him

and covers the depths of the sea.

30Behold, He scatters His lightning around Him, and covers the depths of the sea.

31For by these He judges the nations

and provides food in abundance.

31For by these He judges the peoples; He gives food in abundance.

32He fills His hands with lightning

and commands it to strike its mark.

32With His palms He covers the lightning, and He gives a charge upon it for its striking.

33The thunder declares His presence;

even the cattle regard the rising storm.

33By its shouting He declares concerning it, the cattle also concerning the arising.