< Job 36 >

1 And Elius further continued, and said,
And Elihu addeth and saith: —
2 Wait for me yet a little while, that I may teach thee: for there is yet speech in me.
Honour me a little, and I shew thee, That yet for God [are] words.
3 Having fetched my knowledge from afar, and according to my works,
I lift up my knowledge from afar, And to my Maker I ascribe righteousness.
4 I will speak just things truly, and thou shalt not unjustly receive unjust words.
For, truly, my words [are] not false, The perfect in knowledge [is] with thee.
5 But know that the Lord will not cast off an innocent man: being mighty in strength of wisdom,
Lo, God [is] mighty, and despiseth not, Mighty [in] power [and] heart.
6 he will not by any means save alive the ungodly: and he will grant the judgment of the poor.
He reviveth not the wicked, And the judgment of the poor appointeth;
7 He will not turn away his eyes from the righteous, but [they shall be] with kings on the throne: and he will establish them in triumph, and they shall be exalted.
He withdraweth not from the righteous His eyes, And [from] kings on the throne, And causeth them to sit for ever, and they are high,
8 But they that are bound in fetters shall be holden in cords of poverty.
And if prisoners in fetters They are captured with cords of affliction,
9 And he shall recount to them their works, and their transgressions, for such will act with violence.
Then He declareth to them their work, And their transgressions, Because they have become mighty,
10 But he will hearken to the righteous: and he has said that they shall turn from unrighteousness.
And He uncovereth their ear for instruction, And saith that they turn back from iniquity.
11 If they should hear and serve [him], they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in honour.
If they do hear and serve, They complete their days in good, And their years in pleasantness.
12 But he preserves not the ungodly; because they are not willing to know the Lord, and because when reproved they were disobedient.
And if they do not hearken, By the dart they pass away, And expire without knowledge.
13 And the hypocrites in heart will array wrath [against themselves]; they will not cry, because he has bound them.
And the profane in heart set the face, They cry not when He hath bound them.
14 Therefore let their soul die in youth, and their life be wounded by messengers [of death].
Their soul dieth in youth, And their life among the defiled.
15 Because they afflicted the weak and helpless: and he will vindicate the judgment of the meek.
He draweth out the afflicted in his affliction, And uncovereth in oppression their ear.
16 And he has also enticed thee out of the mouth of the enemy:
And also He moved thee from a strait place, [To] a broad place — no straitness under it, And the sitting beyond of thy table Hath been full of fatness.
17 [there is] a deep gulf [and] a rushing stream beneath it, and thy table came down full of fatness. Judgment shall not fail from the righteous;
And the judgment of the wicked thou hast fulfilled, Judgment and justice are upheld — because of fury,
18 but there shall be wrath upon the ungodly, by reason of the ungodliness of the bribes which they received for iniquities.
Lest He move thee with a stroke, And the abundance of an atonement turn thee not aside.
19 Let not [thy] mind willingly turn thee aside from the petition of the feeble that are in distress.
Doth He value thy riches? He hath gold, and all the forces of power.
20 And draw not forth all the mighty [men] by night, so that the people should go up instead of them.
Desire not the night, For the going up of peoples in their stead.
21 But take heed lest thou do that which is wrong: for of this thou has made choice because of poverty.
Take heed — do not turn unto iniquity, For on this thou hast fixed Rather than [on] affliction.
22 Behold, the Mighty One shall prevail by his strength: for who is powerful as he is?
Lo, God doth sit on high by His power, Who [is] like Him — a teacher?
23 And who is he that examines his works? or who can say, he has wrought injustice?
Who hath appointed unto Him his way? And who said, 'Thou hast done iniquity?'
24 Remember that his works are great [beyond] those which men have attempted.
Remember that thou magnify His work That men have beheld.
25 Every man has seen in himself, how many mortals are wounded.
All men have looked on it, Man looketh attentively from afar.
26 Behold, the Mighty One is great, and we shall not know [him]: the number of his years is even infinite.
Lo, God [is] high, And we know not the number of His years, Yea, there [is] no searching.
27 And the drops of rain are numbered by him, and shall be poured out in rain to form a cloud.
When He doth diminish droppings of the waters, They refine rain according to its vapour,
28 The ancient [heavens] shall flow, and the clouds overshadow innumerable mortals: he has fixed a time to cattle, and they know the order of rest. [Yet] by all these things thy understanding is not astonished, neither is thy mind disturbed in [thy] body.
Which clouds do drop, They distil on man abundantly.
29 And though one should understand the outspreadings of the clouds, [or] the measure of his tabernacle;
Yea, doth [any] understand The spreadings out of a cloud? The noises of His tabernacle?
30 behold he will stretch his bow against him, and he covers the bottom of the sea.
Lo, He hath spread over it His light, And the roots of the sea He hath covered,
31 For by them he will judge the nations: he will give food to him that has strength.
For by them He doth judge peoples, He giveth food in abundance.
32 He has hidden the light in [his] hands, and given charge concerning it to the interposing [cloud].
By two palms He hath covered the light, And layeth a charge over it in meeting,
33 The Lord will declare concerning this [to] his friend: [but there is] a portion also for unrighteousness.
He sheweth by it [to] his friend substance, Anger against perversity.

< Job 36 >