¹ Then Elihu continued and said, ² “Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there is yet more to be said in God’s behalf. ³ “I will fetch my knowledge from afar,
And I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. ⁴ “For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you. ⁵ “Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any;
He is mighty in strength of understanding. ⁶ “He does not keep the wicked alive,
But gives justice to the afflicted. ⁷ “He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But with 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 affliction, ⁹ Then He declares to them their work
And their transgressions, that they have magnified themselves. ¹⁰ “He opens their ear to instruction,
And commands that they return from evil. ¹¹ “If they hear and serve Him,
They will end their days in prosperity
And their years in pleasures. ¹² “But if they do not hear, they shall perish by the sword
And they will die without knowledge. ¹³ “But the godless in heart lay up anger;
They do not cry for help when He binds them. ¹⁴ “They die in youth,
And their life perishes among the cult prostitutes. ¹⁵ “He delivers the afflicted in their affliction,
And opens their ear in time of oppression. ¹⁶ “Then indeed, He enticed 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 fatness. ¹⁷ “But you were full of judgment on the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you. ¹⁸ “Beware that wrath does not entice you to scoffing;
And do not let the greatness of the ransom turn you aside. ¹⁹ “Will your riches keep you from distress,
Or all the forces of your strength? ²⁰ “Do not long for the night,
When people vanish in their place. ²¹ “Be careful, do not turn to evil,
For you have preferred this to affliction. ²² “Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a teacher like Him? ²³ “Who has appointed Him His way,
And who has said, ‘You have done wrong’? ²⁴ “Remember that you should exalt His work,
Of which men have sung. ²⁵ “All men have seen it;
Man beholds from afar. ²⁶ “Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him;
The number of His years is unsearchable. ²⁷ “For He draws up the drops of water,
They distill rain from the mist, ²⁸ Which the clouds pour down,
They drip upon man abundantly. ²⁹ “Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds,
The thundering of His pavilion? ³⁰ “Behold, He spreads His lightning about Him,
And He covers the depths of the sea. ³¹ “For by these He judges peoples;
He gives food in abundance. ³² “He covers His hands with the lightning,
And commands it to strike the mark. ³³ “Its noise declares His presence;
The cattle also, concerning what is coming up.