Job 36
1 Eliu also proceeded, and said:
And Elihu added and said: —
2 Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee: for I have yet somewhat to speak in God’s behalf.
Restrain thyself for me a little, and I will shew thee, that, yet—for GOD, there is justification,
3 I will repeat my knowledge from the beginning, and I will prove my Maker just.
I will bring my knowledge from afar, and, to my Maker, will I attribute righteousness.
4 For indeed my words are without a lie, and perfect knowledge shall be proved to thee.
For, of a truth—not false, are my words, One of competent knowledge, is with thee.
5 God doth not cast away the mighty, whereas he himself also is mighty.
Lo! GOD, is mighty, yet will he not despise, Mighty in vigour of mind;
6 But he saveth not the wicked, and he giveth judgment to the poor.
He will not keep alive one who is lawless, but, the right of oppressed ones, will he grant;
7 He will not take away his eyes from the just, and he placeth kings on the throne for ever, and they are exalted.
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.
8 And if they shall be in chains, and be bound with the cords of poverty:
But, if, bound in fetters, they have been captured with cords of affliction,
9 He shall shew them their works, and their wicked deeds, because they have been violent.
Then hath he declared to them their deed, and their transgressions—that they were wont to behave themselves proudly;
10 He also shall open their ear, to correct them: and shall speak, that they may return from iniquity.
Thus hath he uncovered their ear to a warning, and said—that they should turn from iniquity.
11 If they shall hear and observe, they shall accomplish their days in good, and their years in glory.
If they would hearken, and serve, they should complete their days, in prosperity, and their years, in pleasantness;
12 But if they hear not, they shall pass by the sword, and shall be consumed in folly.
But, if they would not hearken, by a weapon, should they pass away, and breathe their last, no one knowing.
13 Dissemblers and crafty men prove the wrath of God, neither shall they cry when they are bound.
Yea, the impious in heart, should store up anger, They should not cry for help, when he bound them.
14 Their soul shall die in a storm, and their life among the effeminate.
Their soul should die in youth, and their life, among the unclean.
15 He shall deliver the poor out of his distress, and shall open his ear in affliction.
He would deliver the humbled in his humiliation, and would uncover—in oppression—their ear.
16 Therefore he shall set thee at large out of the narrow mouth, and which hath no foundation under it: and the rest of thy table shall be full of fatness.
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.
17 Thy cause hath been judged as that of the wicked, cause and judgment thou shalt recover.
But, with the plea of a lawless one, thou art full, Plea and sentence, will take fast hold.
18 Therefore let not anger overcome thee to oppress any man: neither let multitude of gifts turn thee aside.
Because there is wrath, [beware] lest he take thee away with a stroke, Then let not, a great ransom, mislead thee.
19 Lay down thy greatness without tribulation, and all the mighty of strength.
Will he value thy riches? Nay not precious ore, nor all the forces of strength.
20 Prolong not the night that people may come up for them.
Do not pant for the night, when peoples disappear from their place.
21 Beware thou turn not aside to iniquity: for this thou hast begun to follow after misery.
Beware, do not turn unto iniquity, For, this, thou hast chosen rather than affliction.
22 Behold, God is high in his strength, and none is like him among the lawgivers.
Lo, GOD, exalteth himself by his strength, Who like him doth teach?
23 Who can search out his ways? or who can say to him: Thou has wrought iniquity?
Who enjoined on him his way? and who ever said, Thou hast wrought perversity?
24 Remember that thou knowest not his work, concerning which men have sung.
Remember, that thou extol his work, of which men have sung;
25 All men see him, every one beholdeth afar off.
Every son of earth, hath viewed it, Mortal man, looketh at it from afar.
26 Behold, God is great, exceeding our knowledge: the number of his years is inestimable.
Lo, GOD, is greater than we can know, The number of his years, even past finding out!
27 He lifteth up the drops of rain, and poureth out showers like floods:
For he draweth up drops of water, They trickle as rain through his mist;
28 Which flow from the clouds that cover all above.
With which the clouds flow down, They drop on man in abundance.
29 If he will spread out clouds as his tent,
But surely none can understand the burstings of the cloud, the crashing of his pavilion!
30 And lighten with his light from above, he shall cover also the ends of the sea.
Lo! he hath spread out over it, his lightning, The bed of the sea, hath he covered.
31 For by these he judgeth people, and giveth food to many mortals.
For, by those things, he executeth judgment on peoples, He giveth food in abundance:
32 In his hands he hideth the light, and commandeth it to come again.
Upon both hands, he putteth a covering of lightning, and layeth command upon it against an assailant:
33 He sheweth his friend concerning it, that it is his possession, and that he may come up to it.
His rolling thunder telleth concerning him, —The cattle, even, concerning him that is coming up.
