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. |
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