Job 36
36
Elihu Proclaims God’s Goodness
1Elihu also proceeded and said:
2“Bear with me a little, and I will show you
That there are yet words to speak on God’s behalf.
3I will fetch my knowledge from afar;
I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
5“Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one;
#Job 12:13, 16; 37:23; (Ps. 99:2–5)He is mighty in strength of understanding.
6He does not preserve the life of the wicked,
But gives justice to the #Job 5:15oppressed.
7#(Ps. 33:18; 34:15)He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But #Job 5:11; Ps. 113:8they are on the throne with kings,
For He has seated them forever,
And they are exalted.
8And #Ps. 107:10if they are bound in fetters,
Held in the cords of affliction,
9Then He tells them their work and their transgressions—
That they have acted defiantly.
10#Job 33:16; 36:15He also opens their ear to instruction,
And commands that they turn from iniquity.
11If they obey and serve Him,
They shall #Job 21:13; (Is. 1:19, 20)spend their days in prosperity,
And their years in pleasures.
12But if they do not obey,
They shall perish by the sword,
And they shall die without #Job 4:21knowledge.
13“But the hypocrites in heart #(Rom. 2:5)store up wrath;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
14#Ps. 55:23They die in youth,
And their life ends among the perverted persons.
15He delivers the poor in their affliction,
And opens their ears in oppression.
16“Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress,
#Ps. 18:19; 31:8; 118:5Into a broad place where there is no restraint;
And #Ps. 23:5what is set on your table would be full of #Ps. 36:8richness.
17But you are filled with the judgment due the #Job 22:5, 10, 11wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow;
For #Ps. 49:7a large ransom would not help you avoid it.
19#(Prov. 11:4)Will your riches,
Or all the mighty forces,
Keep you from distress?
20Do not desire the night,
When people are cut off in their place.
21Take heed, #Job 36:10; (Ps. 31:6; 66:18)do not turn to iniquity,
For #Job 36:8, 15; (Heb. 11:25)you have chosen this rather than affliction.
22“Behold, God is exalted by His power;
Who teaches like Him?
23#Job 34:13; (Is. 40:13, 14)Who has assigned Him His way,
Or who has said, ‘You have done #(Deut. 32:4); Job 8:3wrong’?
Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty
24“Remember to #(Ps. 92:5; Rev. 15:3)magnify His work,
Of which men have sung.
25Everyone has seen it;
Man looks on it from afar.
26“Behold, God is great, and we #Job 11:7–9; 37:23; (1 Cor. 13:12)do not know Him;
#Job 10:5; (Ps. 90:2; 102:24, 27); Heb. 1:12Nor can the number of His years be discovered.
27For He #Job 5:10; 37:6, 11; 38:28; Ps. 147:8draws up drops of water,
Which distill as rain from the mist,
28#(Prov. 3:20)Which the clouds drop down
And pour abundantly on man.
29Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
The thunder from His canopy?
30Look, He #Job 37:3scatters His light upon it,
And covers the depths of the sea.
31For #(Acts 14:17)by these He judges the peoples;
He #Gen. 9:3; Ps. 104:14, 15gives food in abundance.
32#Ps. 147:8He covers His hands with lightning,
And commands it to strike.
33#1 Kin. 18:41; Job 37:2His thunder declares it,
The cattle also, concerning the rising storm.
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Job 36: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Job 36
36
Elihu Continues: Hear Me Out
1Elihu continued to speak ⌞to Job⌟,
2“Be patient with me a little longer, and I will show you
that there is more to be said in God’s defense.
3I will get my knowledge from far away
and prove that my Creator is fair.
4Certainly, my words are not lies.
The one who knows everything is ⌞speaking⌟ with you.
God’s Justice Is Beyond Human Understanding
5“Certainly, God is mighty.
He doesn’t despise anyone.
He is mighty and brave.
6He doesn’t allow the wicked person to live.
He grants justice to those who are oppressed.
7He doesn’t take his eyes off righteous people.
He seats them on thrones with kings to honor them forever.
8However, if righteous people are bound in chains
and tangled in ropes of misery,
9he tells them what they’ve done wrong
and that they’ve behaved arrogantly.
10He makes them listen to his warning
and orders them to turn away from wrong.
11“If righteous people listen and serve ⌞him⌟,
they will live out their days in prosperity
and their years in comfort.
12But if they don’t listen,
they will cross the River ⌞of Death⌟
and die like those who have no knowledge.
13But those who have godless hearts remain angry.
They don’t even call for help when he chains them up.
14They die while they’re young,
or they live on as male prostitutes in the temples of idols.
15He rescues suffering people through their suffering,
and he opens their ears through distress.
16“Yes, he lured you away from the jaws of trouble
into an open area where you were not restrained,
and your table was covered with rich foods.
17But you are given the judgment evil people deserve.
A fair judgment will be upheld.
18Be careful that you are not led astray with riches.
Don’t let a large bribe turn you ⌞to evil ways⌟.
19Will your riches save you from having to suffer?
Will all your mighty strength help you?
20Don’t look forward to the night,
when people disappear from their places.
21Be careful! Don’t turn to evil,
because you have chosen evil instead of suffering.
22“God does great things by his power.
Is there any teacher like him?
23Who can tell him which way he should go?
Who can say to him, ‘You did wrong’?
24Remember that you should praise his work.
People have sung about it.
25Every person has seen it.
Mortals have looked at it from a distance.
26“Certainly, God is so great
that he is beyond our understanding.
The number of his years cannot be counted.
27He collects drops of water.
He distills rain from his mist,
28which then drips from the clouds.
It pours down on many people.
29Can anyone really understand how clouds spread out
or how he thunders from his dwelling place?
30Look, he scatters his flashes of lightning around him
and covers the depths of the sea.
31This is how he uses the rains to provide for people
and to give them more than enough food.
32He fills his hands with lightning
and orders it to hit the target.
33The thunder announces his coming.
The storm announces his angry wrath.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.