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Chapter 36

Elihu continued and said:

Wait a little and I will instruct you,
    for there are still words to be said for God.
I will assemble arguments from afar,
    and for my maker I will establish what is right.
For indeed, my words are not a lie;
    one perfect in knowledge is before you.
Look, God is great, not disdainful;
    his strength of purpose is great.
He does not preserve the life of the wicked.
He establishes the right of the poor;(A)
    he does not divert his eyes from the just
But he seats them upon thrones
    with kings, exalted forever.(B)
If they are bound with fetters,
    held fast by bonds of affliction,
He lets them know what they have done,
    and how arrogant are their sins.
10 He opens their ears to correction
    and tells them to turn back from evil.
11 If they listen and serve him,
    they spend their days in prosperity,
    their years in happiness.
12 But if they do not listen, they pass to the grave,
    they perish for lack of knowledge.
13 The impious in heart lay up anger;
    they do not cry for help when he binds them;
14 They will die young—
    their life[a] among the reprobate.
15 But he saves the afflicted through their affliction,
    and opens their ears through oppression.
16 [b]He entices you from distress,
    to a broad place without constraint;
    what rests on your table is rich food.
17 Though you are full of the judgment of the wicked,
    judgment and justice will be maintained.
18 Let not anger at abundance entice you,
    nor great bribery lead you astray.
19 Will your wealth equip you against distress,
    or all your exertions of strength?
20 Do not long for the night,
    when peoples vanish in their place.
21 Be careful; do not turn to evil;
    for this you have preferred to affliction.
22 [c]Look, God is exalted in his power.
    What teacher is there like him?
23 Who prescribes for him his way?
    Who says, “You have done wrong”?(C)
24 Remember, you should extol his work,
    which people have praised in song.
25 All humankind beholds it;
    everyone views it from afar.
26 See, God is great beyond our knowledge,
    the number of his years past searching out.
27 He holds in check the waterdrops
    that filter in rain from his flood,
28 Till the clouds flow with them
    and they rain down on all humankind.
29 [d]Can anyone understand the spreading clouds,
    the thunderings from his tent?
30 Look, he spreads his light over it,
    it covers the roots of the sea.
31 For by these he judges the nations,
    and gives food in abundance.
32 In his hands he holds the lightning,
    and he commands it to strike the mark.
33 His thunder announces him
    and incites the fury of the storm.

Footnotes

  1. 36:14 Life: a miserable life before death or a shadowy existence in Sheol. Reprobate: cf. Dt 23:18–19.
  2. 36:16–20 The Hebrew text here is obscure. Although each verse makes some sense, they do not constitute a logical sequence.
  3. 36:22–25 These verses serve as an introduction to the hymn about the divine marvels, 36:26–37:24, which in some respects anticipates the tone and content of the Lord’s speeches in chaps. 38–41.
  4. 36:29–31 The translation of these verses is uncertain.

36 Elihu continued:

“Bear with me a little longer and I will show you
    that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.
I get my knowledge from afar;(A)
    I will ascribe justice to my Maker.(B)
Be assured that my words are not false;(C)
    one who has perfect knowledge(D) is with you.(E)

“God is mighty,(F) but despises no one;(G)
    he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.(H)
He does not keep the wicked alive(I)
    but gives the afflicted their rights.(J)
He does not take his eyes off the righteous;(K)
    he enthrones them with kings(L)
    and exalts them forever.(M)
But if people are bound in chains,(N)
    held fast by cords of affliction,(O)
he tells them what they have done—
    that they have sinned arrogantly.(P)
10 He makes them listen(Q) to correction(R)
    and commands them to repent of their evil.(S)
11 If they obey and serve him,(T)
    they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity(U)
    and their years in contentment.(V)
12 But if they do not listen,
    they will perish by the sword[a](W)
    and die without knowledge.(X)

13 “The godless in heart(Y) harbor resentment;(Z)
    even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.(AA)
14 They die in their youth,(AB)
    among male prostitutes of the shrines.(AC)
15 But those who suffer(AD) he delivers in their suffering;(AE)
    he speaks(AF) to them in their affliction.(AG)

16 “He is wooing(AH) you from the jaws of distress
    to a spacious place(AI) free from restriction,(AJ)
    to the comfort of your table(AK) laden with choice food.(AL)
17 But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked;(AM)
    judgment and justice have taken hold of you.(AN)
18 Be careful that no one entices you by riches;
    do not let a large bribe(AO) turn you aside.(AP)
19 Would your wealth(AQ) or even all your mighty efforts
    sustain you so you would not be in distress?
20 Do not long for the night,(AR)
    to drag people away from their homes.[b]
21 Beware of turning to evil,(AS)
    which you seem to prefer to affliction.(AT)

22 “God is exalted in his power.(AU)
    Who is a teacher like him?(AV)
23 Who has prescribed his ways(AW) for him,(AX)
    or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’?(AY)
24 Remember to extol his work,(AZ)
    which people have praised in song.(BA)
25 All humanity has seen it;(BB)
    mortals gaze on it from afar.
26 How great is God—beyond our understanding!(BC)
    The number of his years is past finding out.(BD)

27 “He draws up the drops of water,(BE)
    which distill as rain to the streams[c];(BF)
28 the clouds pour down their moisture
    and abundant showers(BG) fall on mankind.(BH)
29 Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,
    how he thunders(BI) from his pavilion?(BJ)
30 See how he scatters his lightning(BK) about him,
    bathing the depths of the sea.(BL)
31 This is the way he governs[d] the nations(BM)
    and provides food(BN) in abundance.(BO)
32 He fills his hands with lightning
    and commands it to strike its mark.(BP)
33 His thunder announces the coming storm;(BQ)
    even the cattle make known its approach.[e](BR)

Footnotes

  1. Job 36:12 Or will cross the river
  2. Job 36:20 The meaning of the Hebrew for verses 18-20 is uncertain.
  3. Job 36:27 Or distill from the mist as rain
  4. Job 36:31 Or nourishes
  5. Job 36:33 Or announces his coming— / the One zealous against evil