Job 35-36

Job 35

¹Moreover Elihu answered and said,

²Thinkest thou this to be thy right, or sayest thou, My righteousness is more than God’s,

³That thou sayest, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?

⁴I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

⁵Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the skies, which are higher than thou.

⁶If thou hast sinned, what doest thou against him? and if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him.

⁷If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

⁸Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit a son of man.

⁹By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; they cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty.

¹⁰But none saith, Where is God my Maker, who giveth songs in the night;

¹¹Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

¹²There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

¹³Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

¹⁴How much less when thou sayest thou beholdest him not, the cause is before him, and thou waitest for him!

¹⁵But now, because he hath not visited in his anger, neither doth he greatly regard arrogance;

¹⁶Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vanity; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

Job 36

¹Elihu also proceeded, and said,

²Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee: for I have yet somewhat to say on God’s behalf.

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

⁴For truly my words are not false: one that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

⁵Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength of understanding.

⁶He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth to the afflicted their right.

⁷He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings upon the throne he setteth them for ever, and they are exalted.

⁸And if they be bound in fetters, and be taken in the cords of affliction;

⁹Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.

¹⁰He openeth also their ear to instruction, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.

¹¹If they hearken and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

¹²But if they hearken not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

¹³But they that are godless in heart lay up anger: they cry not for help when he bindeth them.

¹⁴They die in youth, and their life perisheth among the unclean.

¹⁵He delivereth the afflicted by his affliction, and openeth their ear in oppression.

¹⁶Yea, he would have led thee away out of distress into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which is set on thy table should be full of fatness.

¹⁷But thou art full of the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee.

¹⁸Because there is wrath, beware lest thou be led away by thy sufficiency; neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside.

¹⁹Will thy riches suffice, that thou be not in distress, or all the forces of thy strength?

²⁰Desire not the night, when peoples are cut off in their place.

²¹Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

²²Behold, God doeth loftily in his power: who is a teacher like unto him?

²³Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought unrighteousness?

²⁴Remember that thou magnify his work, whereof men have sung.

²⁵All men have looked thereon; man beholdeth it afar off.

²⁶Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable.

²⁷For he draweth up the drops of water, which distil in rain from his vapour:

²⁸Which the skies pour down and drop upon man abundantly.

²⁹Yea, can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, the thunderings of his pavilion?

³⁰Behold, he spreadeth his light around him; and he covereth the bottom of the sea.

³¹For by these he judgeth the peoples; he giveth meat in abundance.

³²He covereth his hands with the lightning; and giveth it a charge that it strike the mark.

³³The noise thereof telleth concerning him, the cattle also concerning the storm that cometh up.