Job 36 - ESV Bible - And Elihu continued, and said: "Bear with me a...

1 And Elihu continued, and said:

2 "Bear with me a little, and I will show you, for I have yet something to say on God's behalf.

3 I will get my knowledge from ¹afar and ascribe ²righteousness to my ³Maker.

4 For truly my words are not false; one who is ⁴perfect in knowledge is with you.

5 "Behold, God is mighty, and ⁵does not despise any; he is ⁶mighty in strength of understanding.

6 He does not keep the wicked alive, but gives ⁷the afflicted their right.

7 He does not withdraw his ⁸eyes from the righteous, but with ⁹kings on the throne he sets them forever, and they are ¹⁰exalted.

8 And if they are ¹¹bound in chains and caught in the cords of affliction,

9 then he declares to them their work and their transgressions, that they are ¹²behaving arrogantly.

10 He ¹³opens their ears to instruction and commands that they ¹⁴return from iniquity.

11 ¹⁵If they listen and serve him, they ¹⁶complete their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasantness.

12 But if they do not listen, they ¹⁷perish by the sword and die ¹⁸without knowledge.

13 "The ¹⁹godless in heart cherish anger; they do not cry for help when he ²⁰binds them.

14 They ²¹die in youth, and their life ends among the cult prostitutes.

15 He delivers ²²the afflicted by their affliction and ²³opens their ear by adversity.

16 He also allured you out of distress into ²⁴a broad place where there was no cramping, and what was set on your ²⁵table was full of ²⁶fatness.

17 "But you are full of the judgment on the wicked; judgment and justice seize you.

18 Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing, and let not the greatness of ²⁷the ransom turn you aside.

19 Will your ²⁸cry for help avail to keep you from distress, or all the force of your strength?

20 Do not long for ²⁹the night, when peoples vanish ³⁰in their place.

21 Take care; ³¹do not turn to iniquity, for this you have chosen rather than affliction.

22 Behold, God is exalted in his power; who is ³²a teacher like him?

23 Who has ³³prescribed for him his way, or who can say, ³⁴'You have done wrong'?

24 "Remember to ³⁵extol his work, of which men have ³⁶sung.

25 All mankind has looked on it; man beholds it from afar.

26 Behold, God is great, and we ³⁷know him not; the number of his ³⁸years is unsearchable.

27 For he draws up the drops of water; they distill his ³⁹mist in ⁴⁰rain,

28 which ⁴¹the skies pour down and drop on mankind abundantly.

29 Can anyone understand ⁴²the spreading of the clouds, the thunderings of his ⁴³pavilion?

30 Behold, he scatters his lightning about him and covers the roots of the sea.

31 For by these he ⁴⁴judges peoples; he gives ⁴⁵food in abundance.

32 He covers his ⁴⁶hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark.

33 Its crashing declares his presence;^a the cattle also declare that he rises.

Job 36 ESV