Job 36

¹Elihu continued speaking:

²“Let me go on, and I will show you the truth. For I have not finished defending God! ³ I will present profound arguments for the righteousness of my Creator. ⁴ I am telling you nothing but the truth, for I am a man of great knowledge.

⁵“God is mighty, but he does not despise anyone! He is mighty in both power and understanding. ⁶ He does not let the wicked live but gives justice to the afflicted. ⁷ He never takes his eyes off the innocent, but he sets them on thrones with kings and exalts them forever. ⁸ If they are bound in chains and caught up in a web of trouble, ⁹ he shows them the reason. He shows them their sins of pride. ¹⁰ He gets their attention and commands that they turn from evil.

¹¹“If they listen and obey God, they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. All their years will be pleasant. ¹² But if they refuse to listen to him, they will be killed by the sword Or they will cross the river [of death]. and die from lack of understanding. ¹³ For the godless are full of resentment. Even when he punishes them, they refuse to cry out to him for help. ¹⁴ They die when they are young, after wasting their lives in immoral living. ¹⁵ But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity.

¹⁶“God is leading you away from danger, Job, to a place free from distress. He is setting your table with the best food. ¹⁷ But you are obsessed with whether the godless will be judged. Don’t worry, judgment and justice will be upheld. ¹⁸ But watch out, or you may be seduced by wealth. Or But don’t let your anger lead you to mockery. Don’t let yourself be bribed into sin. ¹⁹ Could all your wealth Or Could all your cries for help. or all your mighty efforts keep you from distress? ²⁰ Do not long for the cover of night, for that is when people will be destroyed. The meaning of the Hebrew in this passage is uncertain. ²¹ Be on guard! Turn back from evil, for God sent this suffering to keep you from a life of evil.

Elihu Reminds Job of God’s Power ²² “Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him? ²³ No one can tell him what to do, or say to him, ‘You have done wrong.’ ²⁴ Instead, glorify his mighty works, singing songs of praise. ²⁵ Everyone has seen these things, though only from a distance.

²⁶“Look, God is greater than we can understand. His years cannot be counted. ²⁷ He draws up the water vapor and then distills it into rain. ²⁸ The rain pours down from the clouds, and everyone benefits. ²⁹ Who can understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunder that rolls forth from heaven? ³⁰ See how he spreads the lightning around him and how it lights up the depths of the sea. ³¹ By these mighty acts he nourishes Or he governs. the people, giving them food in abundance. ³² He fills his hands with lightning bolts and hurls each at its target. ³³ The thunder announces his presence; the storm announces his indignant anger. Or even the cattle know when a storm is coming. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.