| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Then Elihu continued, saying: | 1Elihu said further: |
| 2Be patient with me a little longer, and I will inform you, for there is still more to be said on God's behalf. | 2"Be patient with me a little longer and I will instruct you, for I still have words to speak on God's behalf. |
| 3I will get my knowledge from a distant place and ascribe justice to my Maker. | 3With my knowledge I will speak comprehensively, and to my Creator I will ascribe righteousness. |
| 4For my arguments are without flaw; one who has perfect knowledge is with you. | 4For in truth, my words are not false; it is one complete in knowledge who is with you. |
| 5Yes, God is mighty, but He despises no one; He understands all things. | 5Indeed, God is mighty; and he does not despise people, he is mighty, and firm in his intent. |
| 6He does not keep the wicked alive, but He gives justice to the afflicted. | 6He does not allow the wicked to live, but he gives justice to the poor. |
| 7He does not remove His gaze from the righteous, but He seats them forever with enthroned kings, and they are exalted. | 7He does not take his eyes off the righteous; but with kings on the throne he seats the righteous and exalts them forever. |
| 8If people are bound with chains and trapped by the cords of affliction, | 8But if they are bound in chains, and held captive by the cords of affliction, |
| 9God tells them what they have done and how arrogantly they have transgressed. | 9then he reveals to them what they have done, and their transgressions, that they were behaving proudly. |
| 10He opens their ears to correction and insists they repent from iniquity. | 10And he reveals this for correction, and says that they must turn from evil. |
| 11If they serve Him obediently, they will end their days in prosperity and their years in happiness. | 11If they obey and serve him, they live out their days in prosperity and their years in pleasantness. |
| 12But if they do not obey, they will cross the river of death and die without knowledge. | 12But if they refuse to listen, they pass over the river of death, and expire without knowledge. |
| 13Those who have a godless heart harbor anger; even when God binds them, they do not cry for help. | 13The godless at heart nourish anger, they do not cry out even when he binds them. |
| 14They die in their youth; their life ends among male cult prostitutes. | 14They die in their youth, and their life ends among the male cultic prostitutes. |
| 15God rescues the afflicted by their affliction; He instructs them by their torment. | 15He delivers the afflicted by their afflictions, he reveals himself to them by their suffering. |
| 16Indeed, He lured you from the jaws of distress to a spacious and unconfined place. Your table was spread with choice food. | 16And surely, he drew you from the mouth of distress, to a wide place, unrestricted, and to the comfort of your table filled with rich food. |
| 17Yet now you are obsessed with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have seized you. | 17But now you are preoccupied with the judgment due the wicked, judgment and justice take hold of you. |
| 18Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a large ransom lead you astray. | 18Be careful that no one entices you with riches; do not let a large bribe turn you aside. |
| 19Can your wealth or all your physical exertion keep you from distress? | 19Would your wealth sustain you, so that you would not be in distress, even all your mighty efforts? |
| 20Do not long for the night when nations will disappear from their places. | 20Do not long for the cover of night to drag people away from their homes. |
| 21Be careful that you do not turn to iniquity, for that is why you have been tested by affliction. | 21Take heed, do not turn to evil, for because of this you have been tested by affliction. |
| 22Look, God shows Himself exalted by His power. Who is a teacher like Him? | 22Indeed, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him? |
| 23Who has appointed His way for Him, and who has declared, "You have done wrong"? | 23Who has prescribed his ways for him? Or said to him, 'You have done what is wicked'? |
| 24Remember that you should praise His work, which people have sung about. | 24Remember to extol his work, which people have praised in song. |
| 25All mankind has seen it; people have looked at it from a distance. | 25All humanity has seen it; people gaze on it from afar. |
| 26Yes, God is exalted beyond our knowledge; the number of His years cannot be counted. | 26"Yes, God is great--beyond our knowledge! The number of his years is unsearchable. |
| 27For He makes waterdrops evaporate; they distill the rain into its mist, | 27He draws up drops of water; they distill the rain into its mist, |
| 28which the clouds pour out and shower abundantly on mankind. | 28which the clouds pour down and shower on humankind abundantly. |
| 29Can anyone understand how the clouds spread out or how the thunder roars from God's pavilion? | 29Who can understand the spreading of the clouds, the thunderings of his pavilion? |
| 30See how He spreads His lightning around Him and covers the depths of the sea. | 30See how he scattered his lightning about him; he has covered the depths of the sea. |
| 31For He judges the nations with these; He gives food in abundance. | 31It is by these that he judges the nations and supplies food in abundance. |
| 32He covers His hands with lightning and commands it to hit its mark. | 32With his hands he covers the lightning, and directs it against its target. |
| 33The thunder declares His presence; the cattle also, the approaching storm. | 33His thunder announces the coming storm, the cattle also, concerning the storm's approach. |
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