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The Book of Job

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- Chapter 36 -

Elihu proclaims God's goodness

1
Continuing in a similar manner, Eliu had this to say:
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Bear with me for a little while and I will show you; for I have still more to say in favor of God.
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I will review my knowledge from the beginning, and I will prove my Maker to be just.
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For truly my words are without any falsehood and perfect knowledge will be proven to you.
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God does not abandon the powerful, for he himself is also powerful.
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But he does not save the impious, though he grants judgment to the poor.
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He will not take his eyes away from the just, and he continually establishes kings on their throne, and they are exalted.
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And, if they are in captivity, or are bound with the chains of poverty,
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he will reveal to them their works, as well as their sinfulness, in that they were violent.
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Likewise, he will open their ears to his correction, and he will speak to them, so that they may return from iniquity.
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If they listen and obey, they will fill their days with goodness and complete their years in glory.(a)
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But if they will not listen, they will pass away by the sword and will be consumed by foolishness.
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The false and the crafty provoke the wrath of God, yet they do not cry out to him when they are chained.(b)
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Their soul will die in a storm, and their life, among the unmanly.
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He will rescue the poor from his anguish, and he will open his ear during tribulation.
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Therefore, he will save you from the narrow mouth very widely, even though it has no foundation under it. Moreover, your respite at table will be full of fatness.(c) (d) (e)
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Your case has been judged like that of the impious; you will withdraw your plea and your judgment.
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Therefore, do not let anger overwhelm you so that you oppress another; neither should you allow a multitude of gifts to influence you.
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Lay down your greatness without distress, and put aside all of your power with courage.(f)
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Do not prolong the night, even if people rise on their behalf.
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Be careful that you do not turn to iniquity; for, after your misery, you have begun to follow this.(g)
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Behold, God is exalted in his strength, and there is no one like him among the law-givers.
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Who is able to investigate his ways? And who can say, “You have done iniquity,” to him?

Elihu proclaims God's majesty

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Remember that you are ignorant of his work, yet men have sung its praises.(h)
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All men consider him; and each one ponders from a distance.
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Behold, God is great, defeating our knowledge; the number of his years is inestimable.
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He carries away the drops of rain, and he sends forth showers like a raging whirlpool;
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they flow from the clouds that are woven above everything.
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If he wills it, he extends the clouds as his tent
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and shines with his light from above; likewise, he covers the oceans within his tent.(i)
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For he judges the people by these things, and he gives food to a multitude of mortals.
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Within his hands, he hides the light, and he commands it to come forth again.
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He announces it to his friend, for it is his possession and he is able to reach out to it.

Footnotes

(a)36:11 The word ‘complebunt’ can mean to fill or to complete. The verse is translated somewhat loosely, such that both meanings are used: fill up their days and complete their years.(Conte)
(b)36:13 The word ‘clamabunt’ means to cry out or to call on the name of someone; in this context, it means that they will not cry out to God, even when they are in chains.(Conte)
(c)36:16 There is a play on words here: ‘he will save you from the narrow mouth very widely....’ The mouth of oppression is narrow (hard to escape from), but the salvation from God is very wide (easy to obtain). This play on words is lost if the verse is translated less literally: ‘he will save you from oppression very abundantly....’ The meaning of this verse is obscure. God will save you from an oppression that is hard to escape from. He will do so very widely (perhaps this means geographically, i.e. over all the earth; or perhaps it means that it will be a wide road, i.e. an easy to follow salvation). And God will save without regard to the lack of foundation under ‘it,’ referring to the salvation, i.e. it will seem as if that by which God saves has no dependable foundation.(Conte)
(d)36:16 The last part of the verse means that, during the respite that follows, you will have abundance (fatness) at your table. The literal translation would be ‘and the respite of your table will be full of fatness.’ But the meaning is that both the respite and the table are ‘yours.’ So the verse can also be correctly translated as: ‘and your respite at table....’(Conte)
(e)36:16 Out of the narrow mouth:That is, out of hell, whose entrance is narrow, and its depth bottomless; but figuratively meant here, that is, from his miseries and calamity to be restored to his former state of happiness.(Challoner)
(f)36:19 The last phrase is a play off of the first phrase; it could be reworded this way: ‘lay down your greatness and all of your power, with courage and without distress.’(Conte)
(g)36:21 For this you have begun to follow:Eliu charges Job, that notwithstanding his misery, he does not fear God as he ought: but in his judgment, falls into iniquity.(Challoner)
(h)36:24 This last phrase is translated strictly as ‘about which men have sung;’ but it can be better translated more loosely as ‘yet men have sung its praises.’(Conte)
(i)36:30 The word ‘cardines’ here refers back to the previous verse, speaking about the clouds as God’s tent. The phrase means that even the oceans are under God’s Providence, or under the limits of his tent.(Conte)

Elihu proclaims God's goodness

1
Elihu also continued, and said,
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“Bear with me a little, and I will show you; for I still have something to say on God’s behalf.
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I will get my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
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For 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.
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He doesn’t preserve the life of the wicked, but gives justice to the afflicted.
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He doesn’t withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne, he sets them forever, and they are exalted.
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If they are bound in fetters, and are taken in the cords of afflictions,
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then he shows them their work, and their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.
10
He also opens their ears to instruction, and commands that they return from iniquity.
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If they listen and serve him, they will spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
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But if they don’t listen, they will perish by the sword; they will die without knowledge.
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“But those who are godless in heart lay up anger. They don’t cry for help when he binds them.
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They die in youth. Their life perishes among the unclean.
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He delivers the afflicted by their affliction, and opens their ear in oppression.
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Yes, he would have allured you out of distress, into a wide place, where there is no restriction. That which is set on your table would be full of fatness.
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“But you are full of the judgment of the wicked. Judgment and justice take hold of you.
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Don’t let riches entice you to wrath, neither let the great size of a bribe turn you aside.
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Would your wealth sustain you in distress, or all the might of your strength?
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Don’t desire the night, when people are cut off in their place.
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Take heed, don’t regard iniquity; for you have chosen this rather than affliction.
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Behold, God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him?
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Who has prescribed his way for him? Or who can say, ‘You have committed unrighteousness’?

Elihu proclaims God's majesty

24
“Remember that you magnify his work, about which men have sung.
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All men have looked on it. Man sees it afar off.
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Behold, God is great, and we don’t know him. The number of his years is unsearchable.
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For he draws up the drops of water, which distill in rain from his vapor,
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which the skies pour down and which drop on man abundantly.
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Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunderings of his pavilion?
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Behold, he spreads his light around him. He covers the bottom of the sea.
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For by these he judges the people. He gives food in abundance.
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He covers his hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark.
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Its noise tells about him, and the livestock also, concerning the storm that comes up.
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