1 En El¡hu het voortgegaan en gesê:

2 Wag 'n bietjie op my, en ek sal u inlig; want daar is nog genoeg te sê tot eer van God.

3 Ek sal my kennis van ver af ophaal en aan my Skepper reg verskaf.

4 Want waarlik, my woorde is geen leuens nie; een wat volkome is in kennis, is by u.

5 Kyk, God is geweldig, nogtans ag Hy niks gering nie -- geweldig deur krag van verstand.

6 Hy laat die goddelose nie lewe nie, maar aan die ellendiges verskaf Hy reg.

7 Hy trek sy oë nie af van die regverdige nie, maar by konings op die troon laat Hy hulle sit vir altyd, sodat hulle verhoog is.

8 Maar as hulle in kettings geklink is, gevang word in bande van ellende,

9 dan gee Hy aan hulle hul dade te kenne en hul oortredinge, dat hul gedrag hoogmoedig was;

10 dan open Hy hulle oor vir die tugtiging en sê dat hulle moet terugkeer van ongeregtigheid.

11 As hulle luister en Hom dien, dan bring hulle hul dae deur in voorspoed en hul jare in aangenaamheid.

12 Maar as hulle nie luister nie, dan kom hulle om deur die spies, en hulle blaas die asem uit sonder kennis.

13 Maar die goddelose van hart koester nyd; hulle roep nie om hulp as Hy hulle bind nie.

14 So sterwe dan hulle siel in die jeug en hulle lewe soos die van skandseuns.

15 Hy red die ellendige deur sy ellende en open hulle oor deur verdrukking.

16 So lok Hy u dan ook uit die mond van die nood na 'n onbeperkte ruimte en na die behaaglikheid van u tafel wat vol is van vetspys.

17 Maar u is vol van die oordeel oor die goddelose: oordeel en strafgerig sal u aangryp.

18 Want pas op dat woede u nie verlok by die bestraffing en die grootheid van die losprys u nie verlei nie.

19 Sal Hy u geroep om hulp voorbring waar daar geen nood is nie, en alle moontlike kragsinspanning van u?

20 Smag nie na die oordeelsnag wat volke wegneem uit hulle plek nie.

21 Neem u in ag, wend u nie tot ongeregtigheid nie; want dit verkies u liewer as ellende.

22 Kyk, God handel verhewe in sy krag; wie is 'n leermeester soos Hy?

23 Wie het Hom sy weg voorgeskrywe? En wie het gesê: U het onreg gedoen?

24 Dink daaraan dat u sy werk moet verheerlik waar die mense van sing.

25 Al die mense sien dit met welgevalle aan, die sterfling aanskou dit van ver.

26 Kyk, God is groot en onbegryplik vir ons; die getal van sy jare is onnaspeurlik.

27 Want Hy trek waterdruppels af; hulle sif neer by sy mistige weer as reën

28 wat die wolke laat neerstroom, laat afdrup op baie mense.

29 Ja, kan iemand die uitspreiding van die wolke verstaan, die gekraak van sy hut?

30 Kyk, Hy sprei sy lig oor Hom uit, en die dieptes van die see oordek Hy.

31 Want daarmee oordeel Hy die volke, gee Hy voedsel in oorvloed.

32 Altwee sy hande oordek Hy met weerlig en gee daaraan bevel teen die aanvaller.

33 Sy donderstem kondig Hom aan, die vee selfs dat Hy optrek.

1 Elihu also proceeded, and said,

2 Suffer me a little, and I will show thee;

For I have yet somewhat to say on God’s behalf.

3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar,

And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

4 For truly my words are not false:

One that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

5 Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any:

He is mighty in strength of understanding.

6 He preserveth not the life of the wicked,

But giveth to the afflicted their right.

7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous:

But with kings upon the throne

He setteth them for ever, and they are exalted.

8 And if they be bound in fetters,

And be taken in the cords of affliction;

9 Then he showeth them their work,

And their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.

10 He openeth also their ear to instruction,

And commandeth that they return from iniquity.

11 If they hearken and serve him,

They shall spend their days in prosperity,

And their years in pleasures.

12 But if they hearken not, they shall perish by the sword,

And they shall die without knowledge.

13 But they that are godless in heart lay up anger:

They cry not for help when he bindeth them.

14 They die in youth,

And their life perisheth among the unclean.

15 He delivereth the afflicted by their affliction,

And openeth their ear in oppression.

16 Yea, he would have allured thee out of distress

Into a broad place, where there is no straitness;

And that which is set on thy table would be full of fatness.

17 But thou art full of the judgment of the wicked:

Judgment and justice take hold on thee.

18 For let not wrath stir thee up against chastisements;

Neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside.

19 Will thy cry avail, that thou be not in distress,

Or all the forces of thy strength?

20 Desire not the night,

When peoples are cut off in their place.

21 Take heed, regard not iniquity:

For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

22 Behold, God doeth loftily in his power:

Who is a teacher like unto him?

23 Who hath enjoined him his way?

Or who can say, Thou hast wrought unrighteousness?

24 Remember that thou magnify his work,

Whereof men have sung.

25 All men have looked thereon;

Man beholdeth it afar off.

26 Behold, God is great, and we know him not;

The number of his years is unsearchable.

27 For he draweth up the drops of water,

Which distil in rain from his vapor,

28 Which the skies pour down

And drop upon man abundantly.

29 Yea, can any understand the spreadings of the clouds,

The thunderings of his pavilion?

30 Behold, he spreadeth his light around him;

And he covereth the bottom of the sea.

31 For by these he judgeth the peoples;

He giveth food in abundance.

32 He covereth his hands with the lightning,

And giveth it a charge that it strike the mark.

33 The noise thereof telleth concerning him,

The cattle also concerning the storm that cometh up.