Day 12 of 365

¹Moreover Elihu answered,

²"Hear my words, you wise men. Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.

³For the ear tries words, as the palate tastes food.

⁴Let us choose for us that which is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵For Job has said, 'I am righteous, God has taken away my right:

⁶Notwithstanding my right I am considered a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without disobedience.'

⁷What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water,

⁸Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men?

⁹For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.'

¹⁰"Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

¹¹For the work of a man he will render to him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.

¹²Yes surely, God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert justice.

¹³Who put him in charge of the earth? or who has appointed him over the whole world?

¹⁴If he set his heart on himself, If he gathered to himself his spirit and his breath,

¹⁵all flesh would perish together, and man would turn again to dust.

¹⁶"If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words.

¹⁷Shall even one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty?-

¹⁸Who says to a king, 'Vile!' or to nobles, 'Wicked!'?

¹⁹Who doesn't respect the persons of princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor; for they all are the work of his hands.

²⁰In a moment they die, even at midnight. The people are shaken and pass away. The mighty are taken away without a hand.

²¹"For his eyes are on the ways of a man. He sees all his goings.

²²There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

²³For he doesn't need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment.

²⁴He breaks in pieces mighty men in ways past finding out, and sets others in their place.

²⁵Therefore he takes knowledge of their works. He overturns them in the night, so that they are destroyed.

²⁶He strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others;

²⁷because they turned aside from following him, and wouldn't pay attention to any of his ways,

²⁸so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him. He heard the cry of the afflicted.

²⁹When he gives quietness, who then can condemn? When he hides his face, who then can see him? Alike whether to a nation, or to a man,

³⁰that the godless man may not reign, that there be no one to ensnare the people.

³¹"For has any said to God, 'I am guilty, but I will not offend any more.

³²Teach me that which I do not see. If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more'?

³³Shall his recompense be as you desire, that you refuse it? For you must choose, and not I. Therefore speak what you know.

³⁴Men of understanding will tell me, yes, every wise man who hears me:

³⁵'Job speaks without knowledge. His words are without wisdom.'

³⁶I wish that Job were tried to the end, because of his answering like wicked men.

³⁷For he adds rebellion to his sin. He claps his hands among us, and multiplies his words against God."

¹Moreover Elihu answered,

²"Do you think this to be your right, or do you say, 'My righteousness is more than God's,'

³That you ask, 'What advantage will it be to you? What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?'

⁴I will answer you, and your companions with you.

⁵Look to the heavens, and see. See the skies, which are higher than you.

⁶If you have sinned, what effect do you have against him? If your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?

⁷If you are righteous, what do you give him? Or what does he receive from your hand?

⁸Your wickedness may hurt a man as you are, and your righteousness may profit a son of man.

⁹"By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out. They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty.

¹⁰But none says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night,

¹¹who teaches us more than the animals of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?'

¹²There they cry, but none gives answer, because of the pride of evil men.

¹³Surely God will not hear an empty cry, neither will the Almighty regard it.

¹⁴How much less when you say you do not see him. The cause is before him, and you wait for him!

¹⁵But now, because he has not visited in his anger, neither does he greatly regard arrogance.

¹⁶Therefore Job opens his mouth with empty talk, and he multiplies words without knowledge."

¹Elihu also continued, and said,

²"Bear with me a little, and I will show you; for I still have something to say on God's behalf.

³I will get my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

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

⁵"Behold, God is mighty, and doesn't despise anyone. He is mighty in strength of understanding.

⁶He doesn't preserve the life of the wicked, but gives to the afflicted their right.

⁷He doesn't withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne, he sets them forever, and they are exalted.

⁸If they are bound in fetters, and are taken in the cords of afflictions,

⁹then he shows them their work, and their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.

¹⁰He also opens their ears to instruction, and commands that they return from iniquity.

¹¹If they listen and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

¹²But if they do not listen, they shall perish by the sword; they shall die without knowledge.

¹³"But those who are godless in heart lay up anger. They do not cry for help when he binds them.

¹⁴They die in youth. Their life perishes among the unclean.

¹⁵He delivers the afflicted by their affliction, and opens their ear in oppression.

¹⁶Yes, he would have allured you out of distress, into a broad place, where there is no restriction. That which is set on your table would be full of fatness.

¹⁷"But you are full of the judgment of the wicked. Judgment and justice take hold of you.

¹⁸Do not let riches entice you to wrath, neither let the great size of a bribe turn you aside.

¹⁹Would your wealth sustain you in distress, or all the might of your strength?

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

²¹Take heed, do not regard iniquity; for you have chosen this rather than affliction.

²²Behold, God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him?

²³Who has prescribed his way for him? Or who can say, 'You have committed unrighteousness?'

²⁴"Remember that you magnify his work, whereof men have sung.

²⁵All men have looked thereon. Man sees it afar off.

²⁶Behold, God is great, and we do not know him. The number of his years is unsearchable.

²⁷For he draws up the drops of water, which distill in rain from his vapor,

²⁸Which the skies pour down and which drop on man abundantly.

²⁹Yes, can any understand the spreading of the clouds, and the thunderings of his pavilion?

³⁰Behold, he spreads his light around him. He covers the bottom of the sea.

³¹For by these he judges the people. He gives food in abundance.

³²He covers his hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark.

³³Its noise tells about him, and the livestock also concerning the storm that comes up.

¹"Yes, at this my heart trembles, and is moved out of its place.

²Hear, oh, hear the noise of his voice, the sound that goes out of his mouth.

³He sends it forth under the whole sky, and his lightning to the ends of the earth.

⁴After it a voice roars. He thunders with the voice of his majesty. He doesn't hold back anything when his voice is heard.

⁵God thunders marvelously with his voice. He does great things, which we can't comprehend.

⁶For he says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth;' likewise to the shower of rain, and to the showers of his mighty rain.

⁷He seals up the hand of every man, that all men whom he has made may know it.

⁸Then the animals take cover, and remain in their dens.

⁹Out of its chamber comes the storm, and cold out of the north.

¹⁰By the breath of God, ice is given, and the breadth of the waters is frozen.

¹¹Yes, he loads the thick cloud with moisture. He spreads abroad the cloud of his lightning.

¹²It is turned around by his guidance, that they may do whatever he commands them on the surface of the habitable world,

¹³Whether it is for correction, or for his land, or for loving kindness, that he causes it to come.

¹⁴"Listen to this, Job. Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

¹⁵Do you know how God controls them, and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?

¹⁶Do you know the workings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge?

¹⁷You whose clothing is warm, when the earth is still by reason of the south wind?

¹⁸Can you, with him, spread out the sky, which is strong as a cast metal mirror?

¹⁹Teach us what we shall tell him, for we can't make our case by reason of darkness.

²⁰Shall it be told him that I would speak? Or should a man wish that he were swallowed up?

²¹Now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies, but the wind passes, and clears them.

²²Out of the north comes golden splendor. With God is awesome majesty.

²³We can't reach the Almighty. He is exalted in power. In justice and great righteousness, he will not oppress.

²⁴Therefore men revere him. He doesn't regard any who are wise of heart."