1 Prosseguiu Eliú e disse:
2 Mais um pouco de paciência, e te mostrarei
que ainda tenho argumentos a favor de Deus.
3 De longe trarei o meu conhecimento
e ao meu Criador atribuirei a justiça.
4 Porque, na verdade, as minhas palavras não são falsas;
contigo está quem é senhor do assunto.
5 Eis que Deus é mui grande; contudo a ninguém despreza;
é grande na força da sua compreensão.
6 Não poupa a vida ao perverso,
mas faz justiça aos aflitos.
7 Dos justos não tira os olhos;
antes, com os reis, no trono
os assenta para sempre, e são exaltados.
8 Se estão presos em grilhões
e amarrados com cordas de aflição,
9 ele lhes faz ver as suas obras, as suas transgressões,
e que se houveram com soberba.
10 Abre-lhes também os ouvidos para a instrução
e manda-lhes que se convertam da iniquidade.
11 Se o ouvirem e o servirem,
acabarão seus dias em felicidade
e os seus anos em delícias.
12 Porém, se não o ouvirem,
serão traspassados pela lança
e morrerão na sua cegueira.
13 Os ímpios de coração amontoam para si a ira;
e, agrilhoados por Deus, não clamam por socorro.
14 Perdem a vida na sua mocidade
e morrem entre os prostitutos cultuais.
15 Ao aflito livra por meio da sua aflição
e pela opressão lhe abre os ouvidos.
16 Assim também procura tirar-te das fauces da angústia
para um lugar espaçoso, em que não há aperto,
e as iguarias da tua mesa seriam cheias de gordura;
17 mas tu te enches do juízo do perverso,
e, por isso, o juízo e a justiça te alcançarão.
18 Guarda-te, pois, de que a ira não te induza a escarnecer,
nem te desvie a grande quantia do resgate.
19 Estimaria ele as tuas lamúrias e todos os teus grandes esforços,
para que te vejas livre da tua angústia?
20 Não suspires pela noite,
em que povos serão tomados do seu lugar.
21 Guarda-te, não te inclines para a iniquidade;
pois isso preferes à tua miséria.
22 Eis que Deus se mostra grande em seu poder!
Quem é mestre como ele?
23 Quem lhe prescreveu o seu caminho
ou quem lhe pode dizer: Praticaste a injustiça?
24 Lembra-te de lhe magnificares as obras
que os homens celebram.
25 Todos os homens as contemplam;
de longe as admira o homem.
26 Eis que Deus é grande, e não o podemos compreender;
o número dos seus anos não se pode calcular.
27 Porque atrai para si as gotas de água
que de seu vapor destilam em chuva,
28 a qual as nuvens derramam
e gotejam sobre o homem abundantemente.
29 Acaso, pode alguém entender o estender-se das nuvens
e os trovões do seu pavilhão?
30 Eis que estende sobre elas o seu relâmpago
e encobre as profundezas do mar.
31 Pois por estas coisas julga os povos
e lhes dá mantimento em abundância.
32 Enche as mãos de relâmpagos
e os dardeja contra o adversário.
33 O fragor da tempestade dá notícias a respeito dele,
dele que é zeloso na sua ira contra a injustiça.
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.
1 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; I will ascribe justice to my Maker.
4 Be assured that my words are not false; one who has perfect knowledge is with you.
5 "God is mighty, but despises no one; he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.
6 He does not keep the wicked alive but gives the afflicted their rights.
7 He does not take his eyes off the righteous; he enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever.
8 But if people are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction,
9 he tells them what they have done — that they have sinned arrogantly.
10 He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil.
11 If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.
12 But if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword "and die without knowledge.
13 "The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.
14 They die in their youth, among male prostitutes of the shrines.
15 But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction.
16 "He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food.
17 But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have taken hold of you.
18 Be careful that no one entices you by riches; do not let a large bribe turn you aside.
19 Would your wealth or even all your mighty efforts sustain you so you would not be in distress?
20 Do not long for the night, to drag people away from their homes. [^2]
21 Beware of turning to evil, which you seem to prefer to affliction.
22 "God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him?
23 Who has prescribed his ways for him, or said to him, 'You have done wrong'?
24 Remember to extol his work, which people have praised in song.
25 All humanity has seen it; mortals gaze on it from afar.
26 How great is God —beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out.
27 "He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams ";
28 the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind.
29 Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thunders from his pavilion?
30 See how he scatters his lightning about him, bathing the depths of the sea.
31 This is the way he governs "the nations and provides food in abundance.
32 He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark.
33 His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach. [^5]