Study Desk

Elihu continued:

"Bear with me a little longer and I will show you that there is more to be said in God's behalf.

I get my knowledge from afar;^(a) I will ascribe justice to my Maker.^(b)

Be assured that my words are not false;^(c) one who has perfect knowledge^(d) is with you.^(e)

"God is mighty,^(f) but despises no one;^(g) he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.^(h)

He does not keep the wicked alive⁽ⁱ⁾ but gives the afflicted their rights.^(j)

He does not take his eyes off the righteous;^(k) he enthrones them with kings^(l) and exalts them forever.^(m)

But if people are bound in chains,⁽ⁿ⁾ held fast by cords of affliction,^(o)

he tells them what they have done— that they have sinned arrogantly.^(p)

He makes them listen^(q) to correction^(r) and commands them to repent of their evil.^(s)

If they obey and serve him,^(t) they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity^(u) and their years in contentment.^(v)

But if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword^[a](w) and die without knowledge.^(x)

"The godless in heart^(y) harbor resentment;^(z) even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.^(aa)

They die in their youth,^(ab) among male prostitutes of the shrines.^(ac)

But those who suffer^(ad) he delivers in their suffering;^(ae) he speaks^(af) to them in their affliction.^(ag)

"He is wooing^(ah) you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place^(ai) free from restriction,^(aj) to the comfort of your table^(ak) laden with choice food.^(al)

But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked;^(am) judgment and justice have taken hold of you.^(an)

Be careful that no one entices you by riches; do not let a large bribe^(ao) turn you aside.^(ap)

Would your wealth^(aq) or even all your mighty efforts sustain you so you would not be in distress?

Do not long for the night,^(ar) to drag people away from their homes.^[b]

Beware of turning to evil,^(as) which you seem to prefer to affliction.^(at)

"God is exalted in his power.^(au) Who is a teacher like him?^(av)

Who has prescribed his ways^(aw) for him,^(ax) or said to him, ‘You have done wrong'?^(ay)

Remember to extol his work,^(az) which people have praised in song.^(ba)

All humanity has seen it;^(bb) mortals gaze on it from afar.

How great is God—beyond our understanding!^(bc) The number of his years is past finding out.^(bd)

"He draws up the drops of water,^(be) which distill as rain to the streams^[c];^(bf)

the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers^(bg) fall on mankind.^(bh)

Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thunders^(bi) from his pavilion?^(bj)

See how he scatters his lightning^(bk) about him, bathing the depths of the sea.^(bl)

This is the way he governs^[d] the nations^(bm) and provides food^(bn) in abundance.^(bo)

He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark.^(bp)

His thunder announces the coming storm;^(bq) even the cattle make known its approach.^[e](br)

"At this my heart pounds^(a) and leaps from its place.

Listen!^(b) Listen to the roar of his voice,^(c) to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.^(d)

He unleashes his lightning^(e) beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth.^(f)

After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders^(g) with his majestic voice.^(h) When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back.

God's voice thunders⁽ⁱ⁾ in marvelous ways;^(j) he does great things beyond our understanding.^(k)

He says to the snow,^(l) ‘Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.'^(m)

So that everyone he has made may know his work,⁽ⁿ⁾ he stops all people from their labor.^[a](o)

The animals take cover;^(p) they remain in their dens.^(q)

The tempest comes out from its chamber,^(r) the cold from the driving winds.^(s)

The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen.^(t)

He loads the clouds with moisture;^(u) he scatters his lightning^(v) through them.^(w)

At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them.^(x)

He brings the clouds to punish people,^(y) or to water his earth and show his love.^(z)

"Listen^(aa) to this, Job; stop and consider God's wonders.^(ab)

Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning^(ac) flash?^(ad)

Do you know how the clouds hang poised,^(ae) those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?^(af)

You who swelter in your clothes when the land lies hushed under the south wind,^(ag)

can you join him in spreading out the skies,^(ah) hard as a mirror of cast bronze?^(ai)

"Tell us what we should say to him;^(aj) we cannot draw up our case^(ak) because of our darkness.^(al)

Should he be told that I want to speak? Would anyone ask to be swallowed up?

Now no one can look at the sun,^(am) bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean.

Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;^(an) God comes in awesome majesty.^(ao)

The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;^(ap) in his justice^(aq) and great righteousness, he does not oppress.^(ar)

Therefore, people revere him,^(as) for does he not have regard for all the wise^(at) in heart?^[b]"

The Lord Speaks

Then the Lord spoke to Job^(a) out of the storm.^(b) He said:

"Who is this that obscures my plans^(c) with words without knowledge?^(d)

Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.^(e)

"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?^(f) Tell me, if you understand.^(g)

Who marked off its dimensions?^(h) Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line⁽ⁱ⁾ across it?

On what were its footings set,^(j) or who laid its cornerstone^(k)—

while the morning stars^(l) sang together^(m) and all the angels^[a](n) shouted for joy?^(o)

"Who shut up the sea behind doors^(p) when it burst forth from the womb,^(q)

when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness,^(r)

when I fixed limits for it^(s) and set its doors and bars in place,^(t)

when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;^(u) here is where your proud waves halt'?^(v)

"Have you ever given orders to the morning,^(w) or shown the dawn its place,^(x)

that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked^(y) out of it?^(z)

The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;^(aa) its features stand out like those of a garment.

The wicked are denied their light,^(ab) and their upraised arm is broken.^(ac)

"Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep?^(ad)

Have the gates of death^(ae) been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?^(af)

Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?^(ag) Tell me, if you know all this.^(ah)

"What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside?^(ai)

Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths^(aj) to their dwellings?

Surely you know, for you were already born!^(ak) You have lived so many years!

"Have you entered the storehouses of the snow^(al) or seen the storehouses^(am) of the hail,^(an)

which I reserve for times of trouble,^(ao) for days of war and battle?^(ap)

What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,^(aq) or the place where the east winds^(ar) are scattered over the earth?^(as)

Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm,^(at)

to water^(au) a land where no one lives, an uninhabited desert,^(av)

to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass?^(aw)

Does the rain have a father?^(ax) Who fathers the drops of dew?

From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens^(ay)

when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen?^(az)

"Can you bind the chains^[b] of the Pleiades? Can you loosen Orion's belt?^(ba)

Can you bring forth the constellations^(bb) in their seasons^[c] or lead out the Bear^[d] with its cubs?^(bc)

Do you know the laws^(bd) of the heavens?^(be) Can you set up God's^[e] dominion over the earth?

"Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water?^(bf)

Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?^(bg) Do they report to you, ‘Here we are'?

Who gives the ibis wisdom^[f](bh) or gives the rooster understanding?^[g](bi)

Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars^(bj) of the heavens^(bk)

when the dust becomes hard^(bl) and the clods of earth stick together?^(bm)

"Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions^(bn)

when they crouch in their dens^(bo) or lie in wait in a thicket?^(bp)

Who provides food^(bq) for the raven^(br) when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?^(bs)

"Do you know when the mountain goats^(a) give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?^(b)

Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth?^(c)

They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended.

Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return.

"Who let the wild donkey^(d) go free? Who untied its ropes?

I gave it the wasteland^(e) as its home, the salt flats^(f) as its habitat.^(g)

It laughs^(h) at the commotion in the town; it does not hear a driver's shout.⁽ⁱ⁾

It ranges the hills^(j) for its pasture and searches for any green thing.

"Will the wild ox^(k) consent to serve you?^(l) Will it stay by your manger^(m) at night?

Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness?⁽ⁿ⁾ Will it till the valleys behind you?

Will you rely on it for its great strength?^(o) Will you leave your heavy work to it?

Can you trust it to haul in your grain and bring it to your threshing floor?