Job 36-37

New Life Version

Elihu Keeps On Speaking

36 Then Elihu spoke more and said, ² “Wait for me a little longer, and I will show you that there is yet more to be said for God. ³ I bring my learning from far away, and will tell how right and good my Maker is. ⁴ For sure my words are not false. One who is perfect in much learning is with you.

⁵ “See, God is powerful, but does not hate anyone. He is powerful in strength of understanding. ⁶ He does not keep the sinful alive, but gives what is right and fair to those who are troubled. ⁷ He does not turn His eyes away from those who are right with Him. He puts them on the throne with kings and they are honored forever. ⁸ If they are tied up in chains and caught in the ropes of trouble, ⁹ then He makes known to them their work and their sins, that they have shown pride. ¹⁰ He makes them listen to teaching, and tells them to turn away from sin. ¹¹ If they hear and serve Him, the rest of their days will be filled with what they need and their years with peace. ¹² But if they do not hear, they will die by the sword. They will die without learning.

¹³ “But those who do not know God keep anger in their heart. They do not cry for help when He puts them in chains. ¹⁴ They die when they are young. And their life ends among those who sell the use of their bodies in the houses of the false gods. ¹⁵ He takes those who suffer out of their suffering. He speaks to them in times of trouble. ¹⁶ He led you from being close to trouble to a wide place where you were free with your table full of food.

¹⁷ “But you wanted to punish the sinful. Punishment and being fair have taken hold of you. ¹⁸ Be careful or anger will tempt you to laugh at the truth. Do not take pay in secret for wrong-doing and be turned aside. ¹⁹ Will your riches or all your power keep you from trouble? ²⁰ Do not desire the night, when people are taken from their place. ²¹ Be careful, do not turn to sin. For you have chosen this instead of suffering. ²² See, God is honored in His power. Who is a teacher like Him? ²³ Who has told Him the way He should go? And who has said, ‘You have done wrong’?

²⁴ “Remember that you should honor His work, of which men have sung. ²⁵ All men have seen it. Man sees it from far away. ²⁶ See, God is honored, and we do not know Him. We are not able to know the number of His years. ²⁷ For He takes up the drops of water that become rain, ²⁸ which the clouds pour down. Much rain falls on man. ²⁹ Can anyone understand how the clouds are spread out, or how He thunders from His tent? ³⁰ See, He spreads His lightning around Him and covers the bottom of the sea. ³¹ For by these He judges the people and He gives much food. ³² He covers His hands with the lightning, and tells it to hit the mark. ³³ His thunder tells of a storm coming, and cattle also know it is coming.

Elihu Keeps On Talking

37 “At this my heart shakes with fear and jumps from its place. ² Listen to the thunder of His voice and the noise that comes from His mouth. ³ He lets it loose under the whole heaven. He lets His lightning go to the ends of the earth. ⁴ His voice sounds after it. He thunders with His great and powerful voice. And He does not hold back the lightning when His voice is heard. ⁵ God thunders with His great voice. He does great things which we cannot understand. ⁶ For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain, ‘Be strong.’ ⁷ He stops the work of every man, that all men may know His work. ⁸ Then the wild animals go to their holes, and stay where they live. ⁹ The storm comes from the south, and the cold from the north. ¹⁰ Water becomes ice by the breath of God. The wide waters become ice. ¹¹ He loads the heavy clouds with water and they send out His lightning. ¹² It changes its path and turns around by His leading, doing whatever He tells it to do on the earth where people live. ¹³ He causes it to happen for punishment, or for His world, or because of His love.

¹⁴ “Hear this, O Job. Stop and think about the great works of God. ¹⁵ Do you know how God does them, and makes the lightning shine from His cloud? ¹⁶ Do you know how the clouds are set in heaven, the great works of Him Who is perfect in understanding? ¹⁷ Do you know why you are hot in your clothes when the land becomes quiet because of the south wind? ¹⁸ Can you help Him spread out the sky, making it as hard as a mirror made from heated brass? ¹⁹ Teach us what we should say to Him. We cannot put words together to help us because of darkness. ²⁰ Should He be told that I want to speak? Did a man ever wish to be swallowed up?

²¹ “Now men cannot look on the light when it is bright in the sky, when the wind has passed and made it clear. ²² A bright gold light is seen in the north. Around God is great power. ²³ We cannot come near the All-powerful. He is lifted high with power. And He is right and fair and good and will not make it hard for us. ²⁴ So men honor Him with fear. He has respect for any who are wise in heart.”