Job 36

¹Elihu also proceeded, and said:

²Bear with me a little while, that I may show thee! For I have yet words in behalf of God.

³I will bring my knowledge from afar, And assert the justice of my Maker.

⁴Truly my words shall not be false: A man of sound knowledge is before thee.

⁵Behold, God is great, but despiseth not any; Great is he in strength of understanding.

⁶He suffereth not the wicked to prosper, But rendereth justice to the oppressed.

⁷He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous; But establisheth them for ever with kings on the throne, That they may be exalted.

⁸And if they be bound in fetters, And holden in the cords of affliction,

⁹Then showeth he them their deeds, And how they have set him at defiance by their transgressions;

¹⁰He also openeth their ears to admonition, And commandeth them to return from iniquity.

¹¹If they obey and serve him, They spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures.

¹²But if they obey not, they perish by the sword; They die in their own folly.

¹³The corrupt in heart treasure up wrath; They cry not to God, when he bindeth them.

¹⁴They die in their youth; They close their lives with the unclean.

¹⁵But he delivereth the poor in their distress; He openeth their ears in affliction.

¹⁶He will bring thee also from the jaws of distress To a broad place, where is no straitness; And the provision of thy table shall be full of fatness.

¹⁷But if thou art full of the judgment of the wicked, Judgment and justice shall take hold of thee.

¹⁸For if wrath be with him, beware lest he take thee away by his stroke, So that a great ransom shall not save thee!

¹⁹Will he esteem thy riches? No! neither thy gold, nor all the abundance of thy wealth.

²⁰Long not thou for that night To which nations are taken away from their place.

²¹Take heed, turn not thine eyes to iniquity! For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

²²Behold, God is exalted in his power: Who is a teacher like him?

²³Who hath prescribed to him his way? Or who can say to him, "Thou hast done wrong"?

²⁴Forget not to magnify his work, Which men celebrate with songs.

²⁵All mankind gaze upon it; Mortals behold it from afar.

²⁶Behold, God is great; we cannot know him, Nor search out the number of his years.

²⁷Lo! he draweth up the drops of water, Which distil rain from his vapor;

²⁸The clouds pour it down, And drop it upon man in abundance.

²⁹Who can understand the spreading of his clouds, And the rattling of his pavilion?

³⁰Behold, he spreadeth around himself his light, And he clotheth himself with the depths of the sea.

³¹By these he punisheth nations, And by these he giveth food in abundance.

³²His hands he covereth with lightning; He giveth it commandment against an enemy.

³³His thunder maketh him known; Yea, to the herds, as he ascendeth on high.

Job 36

¹Elihu also proceeded, and said,

²Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on God’s behalf.

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

⁴For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

⁵Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.

⁶He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor.

⁷He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.

⁸And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction;

⁹Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.

¹⁰He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.

¹¹If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

¹²But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

¹³But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them.

¹⁴They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.

¹⁵He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.

¹⁶Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.

¹⁷But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee.

¹⁸Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.

¹⁹Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.

²⁰Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.

²¹Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

²²Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?

²³Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?

²⁴Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold.

²⁵Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.

²⁶Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.

²⁷For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:

²⁸Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.

²⁹Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?

³⁰Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.

³¹For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.

³²With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt.

³³The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour.