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Job 35-36
GOD’S WORD Translation
Job 35-36
GOD’S WORD Translation
Elihu Continues: I Will Answer You and Your Friends, Job
35 Elihu continued to speak ⌞to Job and his friends⌟,
2 “Do you think this is right
when you say, ‘My case is more just than God’s,’
3 when you ask, ‘What benefit is it to you?’
and, ‘What would I gain by sinning?’
4 I will answer you and your friends.
Human Behavior Cannot Change God
5 “Look at the heavens and see.
Observe the clouds high above you.
6 If you’ve sinned, what effect can you have on God?
If you’ve done many wrongs, what can you do to him?
7 If you’re righteous, what can you give him,
or what can he get from you?
8 Your wickedness affects only someone like yourself.
Your righteousness affects only the descendants of Adam.
9 The weight of oppression makes them cry out.
The power of mighty people makes them call for help.
10 But no one asks,
‘Where is God, my Creator,
who inspires songs in the night,
11 who teaches us more than he teaches the animals of the earth,
who makes us wiser than the birds in the sky?’
12 Then they cry out, but he doesn’t answer them
because of the arrogance of ⌞those⌟ evil people.
13 “Surely, God doesn’t listen to idle complaints.
The Almighty doesn’t even pay attention to them.
14 Although you say that you pay attention to him,
your case is in front of him, but you’ll have to wait for him.
15 And now ⌞you say⌟ that his anger doesn’t punish ⌞anyone⌟
and he isn’t too concerned about evil.
16 Job opens his mouth for no good reason
and talks a lot without having any knowledge.”
Elihu Continues: Hear Me Out
36 Elihu continued to speak ⌞to Job⌟,
2 “Be patient with me a little longer, and I will show you
that there is more to be said in God’s defense.
3 I will get my knowledge from far away
and prove that my Creator is fair.
4 Certainly, my words are not lies.
The one who knows everything is ⌞speaking⌟ with you.
God’s Justice Is Beyond Human Understanding
5 “Certainly, God is mighty.
He doesn’t despise anyone.
He is mighty and brave.
6 He doesn’t allow the wicked person to live.
He grants justice to those who are oppressed.
7 He doesn’t take his eyes off righteous people.
He seats them on thrones with kings to honor them forever.
8 However, if righteous people are bound in chains
and tangled in ropes of misery,
9 he tells them what they’ve done wrong
and that they’ve behaved arrogantly.
10 He makes them listen to his warning
and orders them to turn away from wrong.
11 “If righteous people listen and serve ⌞him⌟,
they will live out their days in prosperity
and their years in comfort.
12 But if they don’t listen,
they will cross the River ⌞of Death⌟
and die like those who have no knowledge.
13 But those who have godless hearts remain angry.
They don’t even call for help when he chains them up.
14 They die while they’re young,
or they live on as male prostitutes in the temples of idols.
15 He rescues suffering people through their suffering,
and he opens their ears through distress.
16 “Yes, he lured you away from the jaws of trouble
into an open area where you were not restrained,
and your table was covered with rich foods.
17 But you are given the judgment evil people deserve.
A fair judgment will be upheld.
18 Be careful that you are not led astray with riches.
Don’t let a large bribe turn you ⌞to evil ways⌟.
19 Will your riches save you from having to suffer?
Will all your mighty strength help you?
20 Don’t look forward to the night,
when people disappear from their places.
21 Be careful! Don’t turn to evil,
because you have chosen evil instead of suffering.
22 “God does great things by his power.
Is there any teacher like him?
23 Who can tell him which way he should go?
Who can say to him, ‘You did wrong’?
24 Remember that you should praise his work.
People have sung about it.
25 Every person has seen it.
Mortals have looked at it from a distance.
26 “Certainly, God is so great
that he is beyond our understanding.
The number of his years cannot be counted.
27 He collects drops of water.
He distills rain from his mist,
28 which then drips from the clouds.
It pours down on many people.
29 Can anyone really understand how clouds spread out
or how he thunders from his dwelling place?
30 Look, he scatters his flashes of lightning around him
and covers the depths of the sea.
31 This is how he uses the rains to provide for people
and to give them more than enough food.
32 He fills his hands with lightning
and orders it to hit the target.
33 The thunder announces his coming.
The storm announces his angry wrath.
Job 35-36
New International Version
Job 35-36
New International Version
35 Then Elihu said:
2 “Do you think this is just?
You say, ‘I am in the right,(A) not God.’(B)
3 Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me,[a]
and what do I gain by not sinning?’(C)
4 “I would like to reply to you
and to your friends with you.
5 Look up at the heavens(D) and see;
gaze at the clouds so high above you.(E)
6 If you sin, how does that affect him?
If your sins are many, what does that do to him?(F)
7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him,(G)
or what does he receive(H) from your hand?(I)
8 Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself,(J)
and your righteousness only other people.(K)
9 “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:
2 “Bear with me a little longer and I will show you
that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.
3 I get my knowledge from afar;(AE)
I will ascribe justice to my Maker.(AF)
4 Be assured that my words are not false;(AG)
one who has perfect knowledge(AH) is with you.(AI)
5 “God is mighty,(AJ) but despises no one;(AK)
he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.(AL)
6 He does not keep the wicked alive(AM)
but gives the afflicted their rights.(AN)
7 He does not take his eyes off the righteous;(AO)
he enthrones them with kings(AP)
and exalts them forever.(AQ)
8 But if people are bound in chains,(AR)
held fast by cords of affliction,(AS)
9 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
- Job 35:3 Or you
- Job 35:11 Or night, / 11 who teaches us by
- Job 35:11 Or us wise by
- Job 35:15 Symmachus, Theodotion and Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Job 36:12 Or will cross the river
- Job 36:20 The meaning of the Hebrew for verses 18-20 is uncertain.
- Job 36:27 Or distill from the mist as rain
- Job 36:31 Or nourishes
- Job 36:33 Or announces his coming— / the One zealous against evil
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.