New King James Version

New Living Translation

1Elihu also proceeded and said:

1Elihu continued speaking:

2“Bear with me a little, and I will show you That there are yet words to speak on God’s behalf.

2“Let me go on, and I will show you the truth. For I have not finished defending God!

3I will fetch my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

3I will present profound arguments for the righteousness of my Creator.

4For truly my words are not false; One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

4I am telling you nothing but the truth, for I am a man of great knowledge.

5“Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding.

5“God is mighty, but he does not despise anyone! He is mighty in both power and understanding.

6He does not preserve the life of the wicked, But gives justice to the oppressed.

6He does not let the wicked live but gives justice to the afflicted.

7He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous; But they are on the throne with kings, For He has seated them forever, And they are exalted.

7He never takes his eyes off the innocent, but he sets them on thrones with kings and exalts them forever.

8And if they are bound in fetters, Held in the cords of affliction,

8If they are bound in chains and caught up in a web of trouble,

9Then He tells them their work and their transgressions— That they have acted defiantly.

9he shows them the reason. He shows them their sins of pride.

10He also opens their ear to instruction, And commands that they turn from iniquity.

10He gets their attention and commands that they turn from evil.

11If they obey and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures.

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 obey, They shall perish by the sword, And they shall 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“But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath; They do not cry for help when He binds them.

13For the godless are full of resentment. Even when he punishes them, they refuse to cry out to him for help.

14They die in youth, And their life ends among the perverted persons.

14They die when they are young, after wasting their lives in immoral living.

15He delivers the poor in their affliction, And opens their ears in oppression.

15But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity.

16“Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress, Into a broad place where there is no restraint; And what is set on your table would be full of richness.

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 you are filled with the judgment due the wicked; Judgment and justice take hold of you.

17But you are obsessed with whether the godless will be judged. Don’t worry, judgment and justice will be upheld.

18Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow; For a large ransom would not help you avoid it.

18But watch out, or you may be seduced by wealth. Don’t let yourself be bribed into sin.

19Will your riches, Or all the mighty forces, Keep you from distress?

19Could all your wealth or all your mighty efforts keep you from distress?

20Do not desire the night, When people are cut off in their place.

20Do not long for the cover of night, for that is when people will be destroyed.

21Take heed, do not turn to iniquity, For you have chosen this rather than 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“Behold, God is exalted by His power; Who teaches like Him?

22“Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him?

23Who has assigned Him His way, Or who has said, ‘You have done wrong’?

23No one can tell him what to do, or say to him, ‘You have done wrong.’

24“Remember to magnify His work, Of which men have sung.

24Instead, glorify his mighty works, singing songs of praise.

25Everyone has seen it; Man looks on it from afar.

25Everyone has seen these things, though only from a distance.

26“Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; Nor can the number of His years be discovered.

26“Look, God is greater than we can understand. His years cannot be counted.

27For He draws up drops of water, Which distill as rain from the mist,

27He draws up the water vapor and then distills it into rain.

28Which the clouds drop down And pour abundantly on man.

28The rain pours down from the clouds, and everyone benefits.

29Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds, The thunder from His canopy?

29Who can understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunder that rolls forth from heaven?

30Look, He scatters His light upon it, And covers the depths of the sea.

30See how he spreads the lightning around him and how it lights up the depths of the sea.

31For by these He judges the peoples; He gives food in abundance.

31By these mighty acts he nourishes the people, giving them food in abundance.

32He covers His hands with lightning, And commands it to strike.

32He fills his hands with lightning bolts and hurls each at its target.

33His thunder declares it, The cattle also, concerning the rising storm.

33The thunder announces his presence; the storm announces his indignant anger.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

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.