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36:1  Elihu continued and said,
36:2  “Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you, That there is yet more to say on God’s behalf.
36:3  “I will bring my knowledge from afar, And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
36:4  “For truly my words are not false; He who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
36:5  “Behold, God is mighty, and yet does not despise anyone [nor regard any as trivial]; He is mighty in the strength and power of understanding.
36:6  “He does not prolong the life of the wicked, But gives the afflicted their justice.
36:7  “He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous [those in right standing with Him]; But with kings upon the throne He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
36:8  “And if they are bound in bonds [of adversity], And held by cords of affliction,
36:9  Then He declares to them [the true character of] their deeds And their transgressions, that they have acted arrogantly [with presumption and notions of self-sufficiency].
36:10  “He opens their ears to instruction and discipline, And commands that they return from evil.
36:11  “If they hear and serve Him, They will end their days in prosperity And their years in pleasantness and joy.
36:12  “But if they do not hear and obey, they will die by the sword [of God’s destructive judgments] And they will die [in ignorance] without [true] knowledge.
36:13  “But the godless in heart store up anger [at the divine discipline]; They do not cry [to Him] for help when He binds them [with cords of affliction].
36:14  “They die in youth, And their life ends among the cult prostitutes.
36:15  “He rescues the afflicted in their affliction, And opens their ears [so that they pay attention to His voice] in times of oppression.
36:16  “Then indeed, He enticed you from the mouth of distress and confinement, Into a broad place where there is no constraint or distress; And that which was set on your table was full of fatness (rich food).
36:17  “But you [Job] were full of judgment on the wicked, Judgment and justice take hold of you.
36:18  “Do not let wrath entice you into scoffing; And do not let the greatness and the extent of the ransom turn you aside.
36:19  “Will your wealth [be sufficient to] keep you from [the confinement of] distress, Or will all the force of your strength do it?
36:20  “Do not long for the night, When people vanish from their places.
36:21  “Take heed and be careful, do not turn to wickedness, For you have chosen this [the vice of complaining against God] rather than [learning from] affliction.
36:22  “Behold, God is exalted in His power; Who is a ruler or a teacher like Him?
36:23  “Who has appointed God His way, And who can say [to Him], ‘You have done wrong’?
36:24  “Remember that you should magnify God’s work, Of which men have sung.
36:25  “All men have seen God’s work; Man looks at it from a distance.
36:26  “Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; The number of His years is unsearchable.
36:27  “For He draws up the drops of water, They distill rain from the mist,
36:28  Which the clouds pour down, They drop abundantly upon mankind.”
36:29  “Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds Or the thundering of His pavilion?
36:30  “Behold, He spreads His lightning around Him [against the dark clouds], And He covers the depths of the sea.
36:31  “For by these [mighty acts] He judges the peoples; He gives food in abundance.
36:32  “He covers His hands with the lightning, And commands it to strike the mark.
36:33  “His thundering voice declares [awesomely] His presence; The cattle also are told of His coming storm.