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¹ Elihu also proceeded and said: ² "Bear with me a little, and I will show you That there are yet words to speak on God's behalf. ³ I will fetch my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. ⁴ For truly my words are not false; One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

⁵ "Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding. ⁶ He does not preserve the life of the wicked, But gives justice to the oppressed. ⁷ He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous; But they are on the throne with kings, For He has seated them forever, And they are exalted. ⁸ And if they are bound in fetters, Held in the cords of affliction, ⁹ Then He tells them their work and their transgressions-- That they have acted defiantly. ¹⁰ He also opens their ear to instruction, And commands that they turn from iniquity. ¹¹ If they obey and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures. ¹² But if they do not obey,They shall perish by the sword,And they shall die without knowledge. [fn] ¹³ "But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath; They do not cry for help when He binds them. ¹⁴ They die in youth,And their life ends among the perverted persons. [fn]

¹⁵ He delivers the poor in their affliction, And opens their ears in oppression. ¹⁶ "Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress, Into a broad place where there is no restraint; And what is set on your table would be full of richness. ¹⁷ But you are filled with the judgment due the wicked; Judgment and justice take hold of you. ¹⁸ Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow; For a large ransom would not help you avoid it. ¹⁹ Will your riches, Or all the mighty forces, Keep you from distress? ²⁰ Do not desire the night, When people are cut off in their place. ²¹ Take heed, do not turn to iniquity, For you have chosen this rather than affliction. ²² "Behold, God is exalted by His power; Who teaches like Him? ²³ Who has assigned Him His way, Or who has said, "You have done wrong'?

²⁴ "Remember to magnify His work, Of which men have sung. ²⁵ Everyone has seen it; Man looks on it from afar. ²⁶ "Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; Nor can the number of His years be discovered. ²⁷ For He draws up drops of water, Which distill as rain from the mist, ²⁸ Which the clouds drop down And pour abundantly on man. ²⁹ Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds, The thunder from His canopy? ³⁰ Look, He scatters His light upon it, And covers the depths of the sea. ³¹ For by these He judges the peoples; He gives food in abundance. ³² He covers His hands with lightning, And commands it to strike. ³³ His thunder declares it, The cattle also, concerning the rising storm.