New King James Version

Christian Standard Bible

1Elihu also proceeded and said:

1Then Elihu continued, saying:

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

2Be patient with me a little longer, and I will inform you, for there is still more to be said on God's behalf.

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

3I will get my knowledge from a distant place and ascribe justice to my Maker.

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

4Indeed, my words are not false; one who has complete knowledge is with you.

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

5Yes, God is mighty, but he despises no one; he understands all things.

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

6He does not keep the wicked alive, but he gives justice to the oppressed.

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 does not withdraw his gaze from the righteous, but he seats them forever with enthroned kings, and they are exalted.

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

8If people are bound with chains and trapped by the cords of affliction,

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

9God tells them what they have done and how arrogantly they have transgressed.

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

10He opens their ears to correction and tells them to repent from iniquity.

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

11If they listen and serve him, they will end their days in prosperity and their years in happiness.

12But if they do not obey, They shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge.

12But if they do not listen, they will cross the river of death and die without knowledge.

13“But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath; They do not cry for help when He binds them.

13Those who have a godless heart harbor anger; even when God binds them, they do not cry for help.

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

14They die in their youth; their life ends among male cult prostitutes.

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

15God rescues the afflicted by their affliction; he instructs them by their torment.

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.

16Indeed, he lured you from the jaws of distress to a spacious and unconfined place. Your table was spread with choice food.

17But you are filled with the judgment due the wicked; Judgment and justice take hold of you.

17Yet now you are obsessed with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have seized you.

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

18Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a large ransom lead you astray.

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

19Can your wealth or all your physical exertion keep you from distress?

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

20Do not long for the night when nations will disappear from their places.

21Take heed, do not turn to iniquity, For you have chosen this rather than affliction.

21Be careful that you do not turn to iniquity, for that is why you have been tested by affliction.

22“Behold, God is exalted by His power; Who teaches like Him?

22Look, God shows himself exalted by his power. Who is a teacher like him?

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

23Who has appointed his way for him, and who has declared, "You have done wrong"?

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

24Remember that you should praise his work, which people have sung about.

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

25All mankind has seen it; people have looked at it from a distance.

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

26Yes, God is exalted beyond our knowledge; the number of his years cannot be counted.

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

27For he makes waterdrops evaporate; they distill the rain into its mist,

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

28which the clouds pour out and shower abundantly on mankind.

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

29Can anyone understand how the clouds spread out or how the thunder roars from God's pavilion?

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

30See how he spreads his lightning around him and covers the depths of the sea.

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

31For he judges the nations with these; he gives food in abundance.

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

32He covers his hands with lightning and commands it to hit its mark.

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

33The thunder declares his presence; the cattle also, the approaching storm.

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

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.