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 addeth and saith: --
2 Honour me a little, and I shew thee, That yet for God [are] words.
3 I lift up my knowledge from afar, And to my Maker I ascribe righteousness.
4 For, truly, my words [are] not false, The perfect in knowledge [is] with thee.
5 Lo, God [is] mighty, and despiseth not, Mighty [in] power [and] heart.
6 He reviveth not the wicked, And the judgment of the poor appointeth;
7 He withdraweth not from the righteous His eyes, And [from] kings on the throne, And causeth them to sit for ever, and they are high,
8 And if prisoners in fetters They are captured with cords of affliction,
9 Then He declareth to them their work, And their transgressions, Because they have become mighty,
10 And He uncovereth their ear for instruction, And saith that they turn back from iniquity.
11 If they do hear and serve, They complete their days in good, And their years in pleasantness.
12 And if they do not hearken, By the dart they pass away, And expire without knowledge.
13 And the profane in heart set the face, They cry not when He hath bound them.
14 Their soul dieth in youth, And their life among the defiled.
15 He draweth out the afflicted in his affliction, And uncovereth in oppression their ear.
16 And also He moved thee from a strait place, [To] a broad place -- no straitness under it, And the sitting beyond of thy table Hath been full of fatness.
17 And the judgment of the wicked thou hast fulfilled, Judgment and justice are upheld -- because of fury,
18 Lest He move thee with a stroke, And the abundance of an atonement turn thee not aside.
19 Doth He value thy riches? He hath gold, and all the forces of power.
20 Desire not the night, For the going up of peoples in their stead.
21 Take heed -- do not turn unto iniquity, For on this thou hast fixed Rather than [on] affliction.
22 Lo, God doth sit on high by His power, Who [is] like Him -- a teacher?
23 Who hath appointed unto Him his way? And who said, `Thou hast done iniquity?`
24 Remember that thou magnify His work That men have beheld.
25 All men have looked on it, Man looketh attentively from afar.
26 Lo, God [is] high, And we know not the number of His years, Yea, there [is] no searching.
27 When He doth diminish droppings of the waters, They refine rain according to its vapour,
28 Which clouds do drop, They distil on man abundantly.
29 Yea, doth [any] understand The spreadings out of a cloud? The noises of His tabernacle?
30 Lo, He hath spread over it His light, And the roots of the sea He hath covered,
31 For by them He doth judge peoples, He giveth food in abundance.
32 By two palms He hath covered the light, And layeth a charge over it in meeting,
33 He sheweth by it [to] his friend substance, Anger against perversity.