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 And Elihu added and said,

2 Wait for me a little, and I will teach thee; for I yet speak on God's behalf.

3 I will take my knowledge from afar and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

4 For truly my words [are] not lies; [for I share] perfect knowledge with thee.

5 Behold, God [is] mighty and does not despise; [he is] mighty in virtue of heart.

6 He shall not give life to the wicked; but to the poor he shall give their right.

7 He shall not withdraw his eyes from the righteous; but with kings he shall place them on the throne for ever, and they shall be exalted.

8 And if they were bound in fetters and captive in cords of affliction,

9 then he shall show them their work and that their rebellions prevailed.

10 He opens their ear to instruction and commands that they turn from iniquity.

11 If they hearken and serve [him], they shall spend their days in goodness and their years in delight.

12 But if they do not hearken, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

13 But the hypocrites in heart shall irritate him more; they shall not cry out when he binds them.

14 Their soul shall die in youth, and their life [is] among the male [pagan cult] prostitutes.

15 He shall deliver the poor from his poverty, and in affliction shall open their ears.

16 Likewise, he would have removed thee out of the mouth of anguish [into] a broad place where [there is] no distress and should have set thy table full of fatness.

17 But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked, against the judgment and the justice that sustain [everything].

18 Therefore it is to be feared that he take thee away with [a] stroke, which cannot be avoided even with a great ransom.

19 Will he esteem thy riches? [No], not gold, nor all the forces of strength.

20 Do not desire the night, when he cuts people off in their place.

21 Take heed, do not regard iniquity, to chose it rather than poverty.

22 Behold, God is exalted by his power; what teacher is like him?

23 Who has prescribed his way unto him? Or who shall say unto him, Thou hast wrought iniquity?

24 Remember to magnify his work, which men behold.

25 Every man may see it; man may behold [it] afar off.

26 Behold, God [is] great, and we know [him] not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.

27 For he detains the drops of water; when the rain pours down rain out of its vapour,

28 which the clouds do drop [and] distil upon man abundantly.

29 Shall you understand the spreadings of the clouds [or] the noise of his tent?

30 Behold, he spreads his light upon it and covers the roots of the sea.

31 For by them he judges the peoples; he gives food to the multitude.

32 With the clouds he covers the light and commands them [to come] against [the light].

33 [The one] gives news of the other; [the one] acquires wrath against the one that comes.: