New Living Translation | NET Bible |
1Elihu continued speaking: | 1Elihu said further: |
2“Let me go on, and I will show you the truth. For I have not finished defending God! | 2"Be patient with me a little longer and I will instruct you, for I still have words to speak on God's behalf. |
3I will present profound arguments for the righteousness of my Creator. | 3With my knowledge I will speak comprehensively, and to my Creator I will ascribe righteousness. |
4I am telling you nothing but the truth, for I am a man of great knowledge. | 4For in truth, my words are not false; it is one complete in knowledge who is with you. |
5“God is mighty, but he does not despise anyone! He is mighty in both power and understanding. | 5Indeed, God is mighty; and he does not despise people, he is mighty, and firm in his intent. |
6He does not let the wicked live but gives justice to the afflicted. | 6He does not allow the wicked to live, but he gives justice to the poor. |
7He never takes his eyes off the innocent, but he sets them on thrones with kings and exalts them forever. | 7He does not take his eyes off the righteous; but with kings on the throne he seats the righteous and exalts them forever. |
8If they are bound in chains and caught up in a web of trouble, | 8But if they are bound in chains, and held captive by the cords of affliction, |
9he shows them the reason. He shows them their sins of pride. | 9then he reveals to them what they have done, and their transgressions, that they were behaving proudly. |
10He gets their attention and commands that they turn from evil. | 10And he reveals this for correction, and says that they must turn from evil. |
11“If they listen and obey God, they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. All their years will be pleasant. | 11If they obey and serve him, they live out their days in prosperity and their years in pleasantness. |
12But if they refuse to listen to him, they will cross over the river of death, dying from lack of understanding. | 12But if they refuse to listen, they pass over the river of death, and expire without knowledge. |
13For the godless are full of resentment. Even when he punishes them, they refuse to cry out to him for help. | 13The godless at heart nourish anger, they do not cry out even when he binds them. |
14They die when they are young, after wasting their lives in immoral living. | 14They die in their youth, and their life ends among the male cultic prostitutes. |
15But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity. | 15He delivers the afflicted by their afflictions, he reveals himself to them by their suffering. |
16“God is leading you away from danger, Job, to a place free from distress. He is setting your table with the best food. | 16And surely, he drew you from the mouth of distress, to a wide place, unrestricted, and to the comfort of your table filled with rich food. |
17But you are obsessed with whether the godless will be judged. Don’t worry, judgment and justice will be upheld. | 17But now you are preoccupied with the judgment due the wicked, judgment and justice take hold of you. |
18But watch out, or you may be seduced by wealth. Don’t let yourself be bribed into sin. | 18Be careful that no one entices you with riches; do not let a large bribe turn you aside. |
19Could all your wealth or all your mighty efforts keep you from distress? | 19Would your wealth sustain you, so that you would not be in distress, even all your mighty efforts? |
20Do not long for the cover of night, for that is when people will be destroyed. | 20Do not long for the cover of night to drag people away from their homes. |
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 | 21Take heed, do not turn to evil, for because of this you have been tested by affliction. |
22“Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him? | 22Indeed, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him? |
23No one can tell him what to do, or say to him, ‘You have done wrong.’ | 23Who has prescribed his ways for him? Or said to him, 'You have done what is wicked'? |
24Instead, glorify his mighty works, singing songs of praise. | 24Remember to extol his work, which people have praised in song. |
25Everyone has seen these things, though only from a distance. | 25All humanity has seen it; people gaze on it from afar. |
26“Look, God is greater than we can understand. His years cannot be counted. | 26"Yes, God is great--beyond our knowledge! The number of his years is unsearchable. |
27He draws up the water vapor and then distills it into rain. | 27He draws up drops of water; they distill the rain into its mist, |
28The rain pours down from the clouds, and everyone benefits. | 28which the clouds pour down and shower on humankind abundantly. |
29Who can understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunder that rolls forth from heaven? | 29Who can understand the spreading of the clouds, the thunderings of his pavilion? |
30See how he spreads the lightning around him and how it lights up the depths of the sea. | 30See how he scattered his lightning about him; he has covered the depths of the sea. |
31By these mighty acts he nourishes the people, giving them food in abundance. | 31It is by these that he judges the nations and supplies food in abundance. |
32He fills his hands with lightning bolts and hurls each at its target. | 32With his hands he covers the lightning, and directs it against its target. |
33The thunder announces his presence; the storm announces his indignant anger. | 33His thunder announces the coming storm, the cattle also, concerning the storm's approach. |
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