Elihu Shows God's Justice and Power

1And Elihu addeth and saith: —

2Honour me a little, and I shew thee, That yet for God [are] words.

3I lift up my knowledge from afar, And to my Maker I ascribe righteousness.

4For, truly, my words [are] not false, The perfect in knowledge [is] with thee.

5Lo, God [is] mighty, and despiseth not, Mighty [in] power [and] heart.

6He reviveth not the wicked, And the judgment of the poor appointeth;

7He withdraweth not from the righteous His eyes, And [from] kings on the throne, And causeth them to sit for ever, and they are high,

8And if prisoners in fetters They are captured with cords of affliction,

9Then He declareth to them their work, And their transgressions, Because they have become mighty,

10And He uncovereth their ear for instruction, And saith that they turn back from iniquity.

11If they do hear and serve, They complete their days in good, And their years in pleasantness.

12And if they do not hearken, By the dart they pass away, And expire without knowledge.

13And the profane in heart set the face, They cry not when He hath bound them.

14Their soul dieth in youth, And their life among the defiled.

15He draweth out the afflicted in his affliction, And uncovereth in oppression their ear.

16And also He moved thee from a strait place, [To] a broad place — no straitness under it, And the sitting beyond of thy table Hath been full of fatness.

17And the judgment of the wicked thou hast fulfilled, Judgment and justice are upheld — because of fury,

18Lest He move thee with a stroke, And the abundance of an atonement turn thee not aside.

19Doth He value thy riches? He hath gold, and all the forces of power.

20Desire not the night, For the going up of peoples in their stead.

21Take heed — do not turn unto iniquity, For on this thou hast fixed Rather than [on] affliction.

22Lo, God doth sit on high by His power, Who [is] like Him — a teacher?

23Who hath appointed unto Him his way? And who said, ‘Thou hast done iniquity?’

24Remember that thou magnify His work That men have beheld.

25All men have looked on it, Man looketh attentively from afar.

26Lo, God [is] high, And we know not the number of His years, Yea, there [is] no searching.

27When He doth diminish droppings of the waters, They refine rain according to its vapour,

28Which clouds do drop, They distil on man abundantly.

29Yea, doth [any] understand The spreadings out of a cloud? The noises of His tabernacle?

30Lo, He hath spread over it His light, And the roots of the sea He hath covered,

31For by them He doth judge peoples, He giveth food in abundance.

32By two palms He hath covered the light, And layeth a charge over it in meeting,

33He sheweth by it [to] his friend substance, Anger against perversity.