Job 36

¹ Elihu went on speaking. He said:

² Be patient with me a little longer while I explain, for I have more to say on God’s behalf.

³ I will range far afield for my arguments to prove my Maker just.

⁴ What I say contains no fallacies, I assure you, you see before you an enlightened man.

⁵ God does not spurn the blameless man

⁶ or let the sinner live on in all his power. He accords justice to the poor,

⁷ and upholds the good man’s rights. When he raises kings to thrones, if they grow proud of their unending sway,

⁸ then he fetters them with chains, binding them in the bondage of distress.

⁹ He shows them all that they have done, and all the sins of pride they have committed.

¹⁰ He whispers a message in their ears, urging them to amend themselves.

¹¹ If they listen and do as he says, their days end in happiness, and their closing years are full of ease.

¹² If not, then a thunderbolt destroys them, and death comes on them unawares.

¹³ Yes the stubborn who cherish anger, and when he shackles them, do not ask for help:

¹⁴ they die in their youth, or lead a life despised by all.

¹⁵ The wretched, however, he saves by their very wretchedness, and uses distress to open their eyes.

¹⁶ For you, no less, he plans relief from sorrow. Once you lived in luxury unbounded, with rich food piled high on your table.

¹⁷ But you did not execute justice on the wicked, you cheated orphaned children of their rights.

¹⁸ In future beware of being led astray by riches, or corrupted by fat bribes.

¹⁹ Prosecute the rich, not merely the penniless; strong-armed men as well as those who are powerless.

²⁰ Do not trample on those you do not know to install your relations in their place.

²¹ Avoid any tendency to wrong-doing, for such has been the true cause of your trials.

²² Look, by reason of his power God is supreme, what teacher can be compared with him?

²³ Who has ever told him which course to take, or dared to say to him, ‘You have done wrong’?

²⁴ Turn your mind rather to praising his works, a theme that many men have sung:

²⁵ a sight that everyone can see, that man may gaze on from afar.

²⁶ Yes, the greatness of God exceeds our knowledge, the number of his years is past computing.

²⁷ He it is who keeps the raindrops back, dissolving the showers into mist,

²⁸ which otherwise the clouds would spill in floods over all mankind.

³¹ Thanks to them he nourishes the nations with generous gifts of food.

²⁹ And who can fathom how he spreads the clouds, or why such crashes thunder from his tent?

³⁰ He spreads out the mist, wrapping it about him, and covers the tops of the mountains.

³² He gathers up the lightning in his hands, choosing the mark it is to reach;

³³ his thunder gives warning of its coming: wrath overtakes iniquity.