Elihu Extols God's Greatness

¹And Elihu continued, and said:

²“Bear with me a little, and I will show you,

for I have yet something to say on God's behalf.

³I will get my knowledge from oafar

and ascribe prighteousness to my qMaker.

⁴For truly my words are not false;

one who is rperfect in knowledge is with you.

⁵“Behold, God is mighty, and sdoes not despise any;

he is tmighty in strength of understanding.

⁶He does not keep the wicked alive,

but gives uthe afflicted their right.

⁷He does not withdraw his veyes from the righteous,

but with wkings on the throne

he sets them forever, and they are xexalted.

⁸And if they are ybound in chains

and caught in the cords of affliction,

⁹then he declares to them their work

and their transgressions, that they are zbehaving arrogantly.

¹⁰He aopens their ears to instruction

and commands that they breturn from iniquity.

¹¹cIf they listen and serve him,

they dcomplete their days in prosperity,

and their years in pleasantness.

¹²But if they do not listen, they eperish by the sword

and die fwithout knowledge.

¹³“The ggodless in heart cherish anger;

they do not cry for help when he hbinds them.

¹⁴They idie in youth,

and their life ends among the cult prostitutes.

¹⁵He delivers jthe afflicted by their affliction

and kopens their ear by adversity.

¹⁶He also allured you out of distress

into la broad place where there was no cramping,

and what was set on your mtable was full of nfatness.

¹⁷“But you are full of the judgment on the wicked;

judgment and justice seize you.

¹⁸Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing,

and let not the greatness of othe ransom turn you aside.

¹⁹Will your pcry for help avail to keep you from distress,

or all the force of your strength?

²⁰Do not long for qthe night,

when peoples vanish rin their place.

²¹Take care; sdo not turn to iniquity,

for this you have chosen rather than affliction.

²²Behold, God is exalted in his power;

who is ta teacher like him?

²³Who has uprescribed for him his way,

or who can say, v‘You have done wrong’?

²⁴“Remember to wextol his work,

of which men have xsung.

²⁵All mankind has looked on it;

man beholds it from afar.

²⁶Behold, God is great, and we yknow him not;

the number of his zyears is unsearchable.

²⁷For he draws up the drops of water;

they distill his amist in brain,

²⁸which cthe skies pour down

and drop on mankind abundantly.

²⁹Can anyone understand dthe spreading of the clouds,

the thunderings of his epavilion?

³⁰Behold, he scatters his lightning about him

and covers the roots of the sea.

³¹For by these he fjudges peoples;

he gives gfood in abundance.

³²He covers his hhands with the lightning

and commands it to strike the mark.

³³Its crashing declares his presence;1

the cattle also declare that he rises.