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Elihu Speaks of God's Dealings with Mankind

¹ Then Elihu continued and said,

² "Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there ^(F1)is still more to be said on God's behalf.

³ "I will bring my knowledge from afar,
And ascribe ^(C1)righteousness to my Maker.

⁴ "For truly ^(C1)my words are not false;
One who is ^(C2)perfect in knowledge is with you.

⁵ "Behold, God is mighty but does not ^(C1)reject anyone;
He is ^(C2)mighty in strength of understanding.

⁶ "He does not ^(C1)keep the wicked alive,
But gives justice to ^(C2)the afflicted.

⁷ "He does not ^(C1)withdraw His eyes from the righteous,
But ^(C2)with kings on the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.

⁸ "And if they are bound in shackles,
And are caught in the snares of ^(C1)misery,

⁹ Then He declares to them their work
And their wrongdoings, that they have ^(C1)been arrogant.

¹⁰ "^(C1)He opens their ears to instruction,
And ^(C2)commands that they return from injustice.

¹¹ "If they listen and serve Him,
They will ^(C1)end their days in prosperity,
And their years in ^(C2)happiness.

¹² "But if they do not listen, they will ^(F1)perish ^(C1)by the sword,
And ^(C2)die without knowledge.

¹³ "But the godless in heart nurture anger;
They do not call for help when He binds them.

¹⁴ "^(F1)They die in youth,
And their life perishes among the ^(C1)cult prostitutes.

¹⁵ "He rescues the afflicted in ^(F1)their ^(C1)misery,
And ^(C2)opens their ears in time of oppression.

¹⁶ "Then indeed, He induced you away from the mouth of distress,
And instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;
And your table was full of ^(F1)rich food.

¹⁷ "But you were full of ^(C1)judgment on the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.

¹⁸ "Beware that ^(C1)wrath does not entice you to mockery;
And do not let the greatness of the ^(C2)ransom turn you aside.

¹⁹ "Will your cry for help keep you from distress,
Or all the exertions of your strength?

²⁰ "Do not long for ^(C1)the night,
When people ^(F1)vanish in their places.

²¹ "Be careful, do ^(C1)not turn to evil,
For you preferred this to ^(C2)misery.

²² "Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a ^(C1)teacher like Him?

²³ "Who has appointed Him His way,
And who has said, '^(C1)You have done wrong'?

²⁴ "Remember that you are to ^(C1)exalt His work,
Of which people have ^(C2)sung.

²⁵ "All people have seen it;
Mankind looks at it from afar.

²⁶ "Behold, God is ^(C1)exalted, and ^(C2)we do not know Him;
The ^(C3)number of His years is unsearchable.

²⁷ "For ^(C1)He draws up the drops of water;
They distill rain from its ^(F1)celestial stream,

²⁸ Which clouds pour down;
They drip upon mankind abundantly.

²⁹ "Can anyone understand the ^(C1)spreading of the clouds,
The ^(C2)thundering of His ^(F1)pavilion?

³⁰ "Behold, He spreads His ^(F1)lightning about Him,
And He covers the depths of the sea.

³¹ "For by them He ^(C1)judges peoples;
He ^(C2)gives food in abundance.

³² "He covers His hands with the ^(F1)lightning,
And ^(C1)commands it to strike the target.

³³ "Its ^(C1)thundering voice declares ^(F1)His presence;
The livestock also, concerning what is coming up.