Job 36-38

Job 36

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.

Job 37

¹Also, at this my heart trembleth, And it moveth from its place.

²Hearken diligently to the trembling of His voice, Yea, the sound from His mouth goeth forth.

³Under the whole heavens He directeth it, And its light is over the skirts of the earth.

⁴After it roar doth a voice -- He thundereth with the voice of His excellency, And He doth not hold them back, When His voice is heard.

⁵God thundereth with His voice wonderfully, Doing great things and we know not.

⁶For to snow He saith, ‘Be on the earth.' And the small rain and great rain of His power.

⁷Into the hand of every man he sealeth, For the knowledge by all men of His work.

⁸And enter doth the beast into covert, And in its habitations it doth continue.

⁹From the inner chamber cometh a hurricane, And from scatterings winds -- cold,

¹⁰From the breath of God is frost given, And the breadth of waters is straitened,

¹¹Yea, by filling He doth press out a cloud, Scatter a cloud doth His light.

¹²And it is turning itself round by His counsels, For their doing all He commandeth them, On the face of the habitable earth.

¹³Whether for a rod, or for His land, Or for kindness -- He doth cause it to come.

¹⁴Hear this, O Job, Stand and consider the wonders of God.

¹⁵Dost thou know when God doth place them, And caused to shine the light of His cloud?

¹⁶Dost thou know the balancings of a cloud? The wonders of the Perfect in knowledge?

¹⁷How thy garments are warm, In the quieting of the earth from the south?

¹⁸Thou hast made an expanse with Him For the clouds -- strong as a hard mirror!

¹⁹Let us know what we say to Him, We set not in array because of darkness.

²⁰Is it declared to Him that I speak? If a man hath spoken, surely he is swallowed up.

²¹And now, they have not seen the light, Bright it is in the clouds, And the wind hath passed by and cleanseth them.

²²From the golden north it cometh, Beside God is fearful honour.

²³The Mighty! we have not found Him out, High in power and judgment, He doth not answer! And abundant in righteousness,

²⁴Therefore do men fear Him, He seeth not any of the wise of heart.

Job 38

¹And Jehovah answereth Job out of the whirlwind, and saith: --

²Who is this -- darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?

³Gird, I pray thee, as a man, thy loins, And I ask thee, and cause thou Me to know.

⁴Where wast thou when I founded earth? Declare, if thou hast known understanding.

⁵Who placed its measures -- if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched out upon it a line?

⁶On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who hath cast its corner-stone?

⁷In the singing together of stars of morning, And all sons of God shout for joy,

⁸And He shutteth up with doors the sea, In its coming forth, from the womb it goeth out.

⁹In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band,

¹⁰And I measure over it My statute, And place bar and doors,

¹¹And say, ‘Hitherto come thou, and add not, And a command is placed On the pride of thy billows.'

¹²Hast thou commanded morning since thy days? Causest thou the dawn to know its place?

¹³To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it,

¹⁴It turneth itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed.

¹⁵And withheld from the wicked is their light, And the arm lifted up is broken.

¹⁶Hast thou come in to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Hast thou walked up and down?

¹⁷Revealed to thee were the gates of death? And the gates of death-shade dost thou see?

¹⁸Thou hast understanding, Even unto the broad places of earth! Declare -- if thou hast known it all.

¹⁹Where is this -- the way light dwelleth? And darkness, where is this -- its place?

²⁰That thou dost take it unto its boundary, And that thou dost understand The paths of its house.

²¹Thou hast known -- for then thou art born And the number of thy days are many!

²²Hast thou come in unto the treasure of snow? Yea, the treasures of hail dost thou see?

²³That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle.

²⁴Where is this, the way light is apportioned? It scattereth an east wind over the earth.

²⁵Who hath divided for the flood a conduit? And a way for the lightning of the voices?

²⁶To cause it to rain on a land -- no man, A wilderness -- no man in it.

²⁷To satisfy a desolate and waste place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass?

²⁸Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

²⁹From whose belly came forth the ice? And the hoar-frost of the heavens, Who hath begotten it?

³⁰As a stone waters are hidden, And the face of the deep is captured.

³¹Dost thou bind sweet influences of Kimah? Or the attractions of Kesil dost thou open?

³²Dost thou bring out Mazzaroth in its season? And Aysh for her sons dost thou comfort?

³³Hast thou known the statutes of heaven? Or dost thou appoint Its dominion in the earth?

³⁴Dost thou lift up to the cloud thy voice, And abundance of water doth cover thee?

³⁵Dost thou send out lightnings, and they go And say unto thee, ‘Behold us?'

³⁶Who hath put in the inward parts wisdom? Or who hath given To the covered part understanding?

³⁷Who doth number the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who doth cause to lie down,

³⁸In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together?

³⁹Dost thou hunt for a lion prey? And the desire of young lions fulfil?

⁴⁰When they bow down in dens -- Abide in a thicket for a covert?

⁴¹Who doth prepare for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry unto God? They wander without food.