Job 36
1 And Elihu added and said: —
Elihu continued on and said,
2 Restrain thyself for me a little, and I will shew thee, that, yet—for GOD, there is justification,
“Permit me to speak a little longer, and I will show you some things because I have a little more to say in defense of God.
3 I will bring my knowledge from afar, and, to my Maker, will I attribute righteousness.
I will obtain my knowledge from far off; I will acknowledge that righteousness belongs to my Maker.
4 For, of a truth—not false, are my words, One of competent knowledge, is with thee.
For indeed, my words will not be false; someone who is mature in knowledge is with you.
5 Lo! GOD, is mighty, yet will he not despise, Mighty in vigour of mind;
See, God is mighty, and despises no one; he is mighty in strength of understanding.
6 He will not keep alive one who is lawless, but, the right of oppressed ones, will he grant;
He does not preserve the life of wicked people but instead does what is right for those who suffer.
7 He will not withdraw—from a righteous one—his eyes, —but, with kings on the throne, He hath seated men triumphantly, and they have been exalted.
He does not withdraw his eyes from righteous people but instead sets them on thrones like kings forever, and they are lifted up.
8 But, if, bound in fetters, they have been captured with cords of affliction,
If they are bound in chains and trapped in cords of suffering,
9 Then hath he declared to them their deed, and their transgressions—that they were wont to behave themselves proudly;
then he reveals to them what they have done, and their transgressions and their pride.
10 Thus hath he uncovered their ear to a warning, and said—that they should turn from iniquity.
He also opens their ears to his instruction, and commands them to turn back from iniquity.
11 If they would hearken, and serve, they should complete their days, in prosperity, and their years, in pleasantness;
If they listen to him and worship him, they will spend their days in prosperity, their years in contentment.
12 But, if they would not hearken, by a weapon, should they pass away, and breathe their last, no one knowing.
However, if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword; they will die because they have no knowledge.
13 Yea, the impious in heart, should store up anger, They should not cry for help, when he bound them.
Those who are godless in heart store up their anger; they do not cry out for help even when God ties them up.
14 Their soul should die in youth, and their life, among the unclean.
They die in their youth; their lives end among the cultic prostitutes.
15 He would deliver the humbled in his humiliation, and would uncover—in oppression—their ear.
God rescues afflicted people by means of their afflictions; he opens their ears by means of their oppression.
16 Yea he might even have allured thee—out of the mouth of straitness, [into] a wide space—no narrowness there, —and, the food set down on thy table, should have been full of fatness.
Indeed, he would like to draw you out of distress into a broad place where there is no hardship and where your table would be set with food full of fatness.
17 But, with the plea of a lawless one, thou art full, Plea and sentence, will take fast hold.
But you are full of judgment on wicked people; judgment and justice have laid hold of you.
18 Because there is wrath, [beware] lest he take thee away with a stroke, Then let not, a great ransom, mislead thee.
Do not let your anger entice you to mockery, or the greatness of a ransom to turn you aside.
19 Will he value thy riches? Nay not precious ore, nor all the forces of strength.
Can your wealth benefit you, so that you will not be in distress, or can all the force of your strength help you?
20 Do not pant for the night, when peoples disappear from their place.
Do not desire the night, to commit sin against others, when peoples are cut off in their place.
21 Beware, do not turn unto iniquity, For, this, thou hast chosen rather than affliction.
Be careful that you do not turn to sin because you are being tested by suffering so that you will stay away from sinning.
22 Lo, GOD, exalteth himself by his strength, Who like him doth teach?
See, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him?
23 Who enjoined on him his way? and who ever said, Thou hast wrought perversity?
Who has ever instructed him about his way? Who can ever say to him, 'You have committed unrighteousness?'
24 Remember, that thou extol his work, of which men have sung;
Remember to praise his deeds, of which people have sung.
25 Every son of earth, hath viewed it, Mortal man, looketh at it from afar.
All people have looked on those deeds, but they see those deeds only from far away.
26 Lo, GOD, is greater than we can know, The number of his years, even past finding out!
See, God is great, but we do not understand him well; the number of his years is incalculable.
27 For he draweth up drops of water, They trickle as rain through his mist;
For he draws up the drops of water that he distills as rain from his vapor,
28 With which the clouds flow down, They drop on man in abundance.
which the clouds pour down and drop in abundance on mankind.
29 But surely none can understand the burstings of the cloud, the crashing of his pavilion!
Indeed, can anyone understand the extensive spread of the clouds and the thunder from his hut?
30 Lo! he hath spread out over it, his lightning, The bed of the sea, hath he covered.
See, he spreads his lightning around him and covers the roots of the sea.
31 For, by those things, he executeth judgment on peoples, He giveth food in abundance:
In this way he judges the peoples and gives food in abundance.
32 Upon both hands, he putteth a covering of lightning, and layeth command upon it against an assailant:
He fills his hands with the lightning until he commands it to strike its mark.
33 His rolling thunder telleth concerning him, —The cattle, even, concerning him that is coming up.
Its thunder warns of the storm, the cattle can also hear it is coming.
