Elihu Speaks of God’s Dealings with Mankind
1Then Elihu continued and said,
2“Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there Lit are yet words for Godis still more to be said on God’s behalf.
3I will bring my knowledge from afar,
And ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
5Behold, God is mighty but does not reject anyone;
He is mighty in strength of understanding.
6He does not keep the wicked alive,
But gives justice to the afflicted.
7He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous,
But with kings on the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
8And if they are bound in shackles,
And are caught in the snares of misery,
9Then He declares to them their work
And their wrongdoings, that they have been arrogant.
10He opens their ears to instruction,
And commands that they return from injustice.
11If they listen and serve Him,
They will end their days in prosperity,
And their years in happiness.
12But if they do not listen, they will Lit pass awayperish by the sword,
And die without knowledge.
13But the godless in heart nurture anger;
They do not call for help when He binds them.
14
Lit Their soul dies
They die in youth,
And their life perishes among the cult prostitutes.
15He rescues the afflicted in Lit histheir misery,
And opens their ears in time of oppression.
16Then indeed, He induced you away from the mouth of distress,
And instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;
And your table was full of Or fatnessrich food.
17“But you were full of judgment on the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18
Beware that wrath does not entice you to mockery;
And do not let the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.
19Will your cry for help keep you from distress,
Or all the exertions of your strength?
20Do not long for the night,
When people Lit go upvanish in their places.
21Be careful, do not turn to evil,
For you preferred this to misery.
22Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a teacher like Him?
23Who has appointed Him His way,
And who has said, ‘You have done wrong’?
24“Remember that you are to exalt His work,
Of which people have sung.
25All people have seen it;
Mankind looks at it from afar.
26Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him;
The number of His years is unsearchable.
27For He draws up the drops of water;
They distill rain from its Or mistcelestial stream,
28Which clouds pour down;
They drip upon mankind abundantly.
29Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds,
The thundering of His Lit boothpavilion?
30Behold, He spreads His Lit lightlightning about Him,
And He covers the depths of the sea.
31For by them He judges peoples;
He gives food in abundance.
And commands it to strike the target.
33Its thundering voice declares Lit concerning HimHis presence;
The livestock also, concerning what is coming up.
New American Standard Bible
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by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.
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