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35 Moreover Elihu answered and said,

Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God's?

For thou hast asked of what profit it is unto thee: what do I gain more than if I had sinned?

I will reply to thee in words, and to thy companions with thee.

Look unto the heavens and see; and survey the skies: they are higher than thou.

If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? If thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

If thou be righteous, what givest thou to him? or what doth he receive of thy hand?

Thy wickedness [may affect] a man as thou [art], and thy righteousness a son of man.

By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry; they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty:

10 But none saith, Where is +God my Maker, who giveth songs in the night,

11 Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowl of the heavens?

12 There they cry, and he answereth not, because of the pride of evil men.

13 Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

14 Although thou sayest thou dost not see him, judgment is before him, therefore wait for him.

15 But now, because he hath not visited in his anger, doth not [Job] know [his] great arrogancy?

16 For Job hath opened his mouth in vanity, and made words abundant without knowledge.

36 And Elihu proceeded and said,

Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet words for +God.

I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Creator.

For truly my words shall be no falsehood: one perfect in knowledge is with thee.

Lo, God is mighty, but despiseth not [any]; mighty in strength of understanding:

He saveth not the wicked alive; but he doeth justice to the afflicted.

He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne doth he even set them for ever; and they are exalted.

And if, bound in fetters, they be held in cords of affliction,

Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions, because they have increased.

10 And he openeth their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.

11 If they hearken and serve [him], they shall accomplish their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

12 But if they hearken not, they shall pass away by the sword, and expire without knowledge.

13 But the godless in heart heap up anger; they cry not when he bindeth them:

14 Their soul dieth in youth, and their life is among the unclean.

15 But he delivereth the afflicted in his affliction, and openeth their ear in [their] oppression.

16 Even so would he have allured thee out of the jaws of distress into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and the supply of thy table [would be] full of fatness.

17 But thou art full of the judgments of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold [on thee].

18 Because there is wrath, [beware] lest it take thee away through chastisement: then a great ransom could not avail thee.

19 Will he esteem thy riches? Not gold, nor all the resources of strength!

20 Desire not the night, when peoples are cut off from their place.

21 Take heed, turn not to iniquity; for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

22 Lo, God is exalted in his power: who teacheth as he?

23 Who hath appointed him his way? or who hath said, Thou hast wrought unrighteousness?

24 Remember that thou magnify his work, which men celebrate.

25 All men look at it; man beholdeth [it] afar off.

26 Lo, God is great, and we comprehend [him] not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.

27 For he draweth up the drops of water: they distil in rain from the vapour which he formeth,

28 Which the skies pour down [and] drop upon man abundantly.

29 But can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, [or] the crashing of his pavilion?

30 Lo, he spreadeth his light around him, and covereth the bottom of the sea.

31 For with them he judgeth the peoples; he giveth food in abundance.

32 [His] hands he covereth with lightning, and commandeth it where it is to strike.

33 His thundering declareth concerning him; the cattle even, concerning its coming.

35 Then Elihu said:

“Do you think this is just?
    You say, ‘I am in the right,(A) not God.’(B)
Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me,[a]
    and what do I gain by not sinning?’(C)

“I would like to reply to you
    and to your friends with you.
Look up at the heavens(D) and see;
    gaze at the clouds so high above you.(E)
If you sin, how does that affect him?
    If your sins are many, what does that do to him?(F)
If you are righteous, what do you give to him,(G)
    or what does he receive(H) from your hand?(I)
Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself,(J)
    and your righteousness only other people.(K)

“People cry out(L) under a load of oppression;(M)
    they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful.(N)
10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,(O)
    who gives songs(P) in the night,(Q)
11 who teaches(R) us(S) more than he teaches[b] the beasts of the earth
    and makes us wiser than[c] the birds in the sky?’
12 He does not answer(T) when people cry out
    because of the arrogance(U) of the wicked.(V)
13 Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea;
    the Almighty pays no attention to it.(W)
14 How much less, then, will he listen
    when you say that you do not see him,(X)
that your case(Y) is before him
    and you must wait for him,(Z)
15 and further, that his anger never punishes(AA)
    and he does not take the least notice of wickedness.[d](AB)
16 So Job opens his mouth with empty talk;(AC)
    without knowledge he multiplies words.”(AD)

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;(AE)
    I will ascribe justice to my Maker.(AF)
Be assured that my words are not false;(AG)
    one who has perfect knowledge(AH) is with you.(AI)

“God is mighty,(AJ) but despises no one;(AK)
    he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.(AL)
He does not keep the wicked alive(AM)
    but gives the afflicted their rights.(AN)
He does not take his eyes off the righteous;(AO)
    he enthrones them with kings(AP)
    and exalts them forever.(AQ)
But if people are bound in chains,(AR)
    held fast by cords of affliction,(AS)
he tells them what they have done—
    that they have sinned arrogantly.(AT)
10 He makes them listen(AU) to correction(AV)
    and commands them to repent of their evil.(AW)
11 If they obey and serve him,(AX)
    they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity(AY)
    and their years in contentment.(AZ)
12 But if they do not listen,
    they will perish by the sword[e](BA)
    and die without knowledge.(BB)

13 “The godless in heart(BC) harbor resentment;(BD)
    even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.(BE)
14 They die in their youth,(BF)
    among male prostitutes of the shrines.(BG)
15 But those who suffer(BH) he delivers in their suffering;(BI)
    he speaks(BJ) to them in their affliction.(BK)

16 “He is wooing(BL) you from the jaws of distress
    to a spacious place(BM) free from restriction,(BN)
    to the comfort of your table(BO) laden with choice food.(BP)
17 But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked;(BQ)
    judgment and justice have taken hold of you.(BR)
18 Be careful that no one entices you by riches;
    do not let a large bribe(BS) turn you aside.(BT)
19 Would your wealth(BU) or even all your mighty efforts
    sustain you so you would not be in distress?
20 Do not long for the night,(BV)
    to drag people away from their homes.[f]
21 Beware of turning to evil,(BW)
    which you seem to prefer to affliction.(BX)

22 “God is exalted in his power.(BY)
    Who is a teacher like him?(BZ)
23 Who has prescribed his ways(CA) for him,(CB)
    or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’?(CC)
24 Remember to extol his work,(CD)
    which people have praised in song.(CE)
25 All humanity has seen it;(CF)
    mortals gaze on it from afar.
26 How great is God—beyond our understanding!(CG)
    The number of his years is past finding out.(CH)

27 “He draws up the drops of water,(CI)
    which distill as rain to the streams[g];(CJ)
28 the clouds pour down their moisture
    and abundant showers(CK) fall on mankind.(CL)
29 Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,
    how he thunders(CM) from his pavilion?(CN)
30 See how he scatters his lightning(CO) about him,
    bathing the depths of the sea.(CP)
31 This is the way he governs[h] the nations(CQ)
    and provides food(CR) in abundance.(CS)
32 He fills his hands with lightning
    and commands it to strike its mark.(CT)
33 His thunder announces the coming storm;(CU)
    even the cattle make known its approach.[i](CV)

Footnotes

  1. Job 35:3 Or you
  2. Job 35:11 Or night, / 11 who teaches us by
  3. Job 35:11 Or us wise by
  4. Job 35:15 Symmachus, Theodotion and Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  5. Job 36:12 Or will cross the river
  6. Job 36:20 The meaning of the Hebrew for verses 18-20 is uncertain.
  7. Job 36:27 Or distill from the mist as rain
  8. Job 36:31 Or nourishes
  9. Job 36:33 Or announces his coming— / the One zealous against evil