Job 36 New American Standard Bible

Elihu Speaks of God’s Dealings with Mankind

36 Then Elihu continued and said,

²“Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there ^[a]is still more to be said on God’s behalf.
³I will bring my knowledge from afar,
And ascribe ^(A)righteousness to my Maker.
⁴For truly ^(B)my words are not false;
One who is ^(C)perfect in knowledge is with you.
⁵Behold, God is mighty but does not ^(D)reject anyone;
He is ^(E)mighty in strength of understanding.
⁶He does not ^(F)keep the wicked alive,
But gives justice to ^(G)the afflicted.
⁷He does not ^(H)withdraw His eyes from the righteous,
But ^(I)with kings on the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
⁸And if they are bound in shackles,
And are caught in the snares of ^(J)misery,
⁹Then He declares to them their work
And their wrongdoings, that they have ^(K)been arrogant.
¹⁰^(L)He opens their ears to instruction,
And ^(M)commands that they return from injustice.
¹¹If they listen and serve Him,
They will ^(N)end their days in prosperity,
And their years in ^(O)happiness.
¹²But if they do not listen, they will ^[b]perish ^(P)by the sword,
And ^(Q)die without knowledge.
¹³But the godless in heart nurture anger;
They do not call for help when He binds them.
¹⁴^[c]They die in youth,
And their life perishes among the ^(R)cult prostitutes.
¹⁵He rescues the afflicted in ^[d]their ^(S)misery,
And ^(T)opens their ears in time of oppression.
¹⁶Then indeed, He induced you away from the mouth of distress,
And instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;
And your table was full of ^[e]rich food.

¹⁷“But you were full of ^(U)judgment on the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
¹⁸Beware that ^(V)wrath does not entice you to mockery;
And do not let the greatness of the ^(W)ransom turn you aside.
¹⁹Will your cry for help keep you from distress,
Or all the exertions of your strength?
²⁰Do not long for ^(X)the night,
When people ^[f]vanish in their places.
²¹Be careful, do ^(Y)not turn to evil,
For you preferred this to ^(Z)misery.
²²Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a ^(AA)teacher like Him?
²³Who has appointed Him His way,
And who has said, ‘^(AB)You have done wrong’?

²⁴“Remember that you are to ^(AC)exalt His work,
Of which people have ^(AD)sung.
²⁵All people have seen it;
Mankind looks at it from afar.
²⁶Behold, God is ^(AE)exalted, and ^(AF)we do not know Him;
The ^(AG)number of His years is unsearchable.
²⁷For ^(AH)He draws up the drops of water;
They distill rain from its ^[g]celestial stream,
²⁸Which clouds pour down;
They drip upon mankind abundantly.
²⁹Can anyone understand the ^(AI)spreading of the clouds,
The ^(AJ)thundering of His ^[h]pavilion?
³⁰Behold, He spreads His ^[i]lightning about Him,
And He covers the depths of the sea.
³¹For by them He ^(AK)judges peoples;
He ^(AL)gives food in abundance.
³²He covers His hands with the ^[j]lightning,
And ^(AM)commands it to strike the target.
³³Its ^(AN)thundering voice declares ^[k]His presence;
The livestock also, concerning what is coming up.