1 Elihu also continued, and said,
2 "Bear with me a little, and I will show you;
for I still have something to say on God’s behalf.
3 I will get my knowledge from afar,
and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words are not false.
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
5 "Behold, God is mighty, and doesn’t despise anyone.
He is mighty in strength of understanding.
6 He doesn’t preserve the life of the wicked,
but gives justice to the afflicted.
7 He doesn’t withdraw his eyes from the righteous,
but with kings on the throne,
he sets them forever, and they are exalted.
8 If they are bound in fetters,
and are taken in the cords of afflictions,
9 then he shows them their work,
and their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.
10 He also opens their ears to instruction,
and commands that they return from iniquity.
11 If they listen and serve him,
they will spend their days in prosperity,
and their years in pleasures.
12 But if they don’t listen, they will perish by the sword;
they will die without knowledge.
13 "But those who are godless in heart lay up anger.
They don’t cry for help when he binds them.
14 They die in youth.
Their life perishes among the unclean.
15 He delivers the afflicted by their affliction,
and opens their ear in oppression.
16 Yes, he would have allured you out of distress,
into a wide place, where there is no restriction.
That which is set on your table would be full of fatness.
17 "But you are full of the judgment of the wicked.
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 Don’t let riches entice you to wrath,
neither let the great size of a bribe turn you aside.
19 Would your wealth sustain you in distress,
or all the might of your strength?
20 Don’t desire the night,
when people are cut off in their place.
21 Take heed, don’t regard iniquity;
for you have chosen this rather than affliction.
22 Behold, God is exalted in his power.
Who is a teacher like him?
23 Who has prescribed his way for him?
Or who can say, ‘You have committed unrighteousness?’
24 "Remember that you magnify his work,
about which men have sung.
25 All men have looked on it.
Man sees it afar off.
26 Behold, God is great, and we don’t know him.
The number of his years is unsearchable.
27 For he draws up the drops of water,
which distill in rain from his vapor,
28 which the skies pour down
and which drop on man abundantly.
29 Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds
and the thunderings of his pavilion?
30 Behold, he spreads his light around him.
He covers the bottom of the sea.
31 For by these he judges the people.
He gives food in abundance.
32 He covers his hands with the lightning,
and commands it to strike the mark.
33 Its noise tells about him,
and the livestock also, concerning the storm that comes up.
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.