New International Version | New Living Translation |
1Elihu continued: | 1Elihu continued speaking: |
2"Bear with me a little longer and I will show you that there is more to be said in God's behalf. | 2“Let me go on, and I will show you the truth. For I have not finished defending God! |
3I get my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe justice to my Maker. | 3I will present profound arguments for the righteousness of my Creator. |
4Be assured that my words are not false; one who has perfect knowledge is with you. | 4I am telling you nothing but the truth, for I am a man of great knowledge. |
5"God is mighty, but despises no one; he is mighty, and firm in his purpose. | 5“God is mighty, but he does not despise anyone! He is mighty in both power and understanding. |
6He does not keep the wicked alive but gives the afflicted their rights. | 6He does not let the wicked live but gives justice to the afflicted. |
7He does not take his eyes off the righteous; he enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever. | 7He never takes his eyes off the innocent, but he sets them on thrones with kings and exalts them forever. |
8But if people are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction, | 8If they are bound in chains and caught up in a web of trouble, |
9he tells them what they have done-- that they have sinned arrogantly. | 9he shows them the reason. He shows them their sins of pride. |
10He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil. | 10He gets their attention and commands that they turn from evil. |
11If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. | 11“If they listen and obey God, they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. All their years will be pleasant. |
12But if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword and die without knowledge. | 12But if they refuse to listen to him, they will cross over the river of death, dying from lack of understanding. |
13"The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help. | 13For the godless are full of resentment. Even when he punishes them, they refuse to cry out to him for help. |
14They die in their youth, among male prostitutes of the shrines. | 14They die when they are young, after wasting their lives in immoral living. |
15But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction. | 15But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity. |
16"He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. | 16“God is leading you away from danger, Job, to a place free from distress. He is setting your table with the best food. |
17But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have taken hold of you. | 17But you are obsessed with whether the godless will be judged. Don’t worry, judgment and justice will be upheld. |
18Be careful that no one entices you by riches; do not let a large bribe turn you aside. | 18But watch out, or you may be seduced by wealth. Don’t let yourself be bribed into sin. |
19Would your wealth or even all your mighty efforts sustain you so you would not be in distress? | 19Could all your wealth or all your mighty efforts keep you from distress? |
20Do not long for the night, to drag people away from their homes. | 20Do not long for the cover of night, for that is when people will be destroyed. |
21Beware of turning to evil, which you seem to prefer to affliction. | 21Be on guard! Turn back from evil, for God sent this suffering to keep you from a life of evil. Elihu Reminds Job of God’s Power |
22"God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him? | 22“Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him? |
23Who has prescribed his ways for him, or said to him, 'You have done wrong'? | 23No one can tell him what to do, or say to him, ‘You have done wrong.’ |
24Remember to extol his work, which people have praised in song. | 24Instead, glorify his mighty works, singing songs of praise. |
25All humanity has seen it; mortals gaze on it from afar. | 25Everyone has seen these things, though only from a distance. |
26How great is God--beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out. | 26“Look, God is greater than we can understand. His years cannot be counted. |
27"He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; | 27He draws up the water vapor and then distills it into rain. |
28the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. | 28The rain pours down from the clouds, and everyone benefits. |
29Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thunders from his pavilion? | 29Who can understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunder that rolls forth from heaven? |
30See how he scatters his lightning about him, bathing the depths of the sea. | 30See how he spreads the lightning around him and how it lights up the depths of the sea. |
31This is the way he governs the nations and provides food in abundance. | 31By these mighty acts he nourishes the people, giving them food in abundance. |
32He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. | 32He fills his hands with lightning bolts and hurls each at its target. |
33His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach. | 33The thunder announces his presence; the storm announces his indignant anger. |
New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
|