¹ Elihu also continued, and said,

² "Bear with me a little, and I will show you; for I still have something to say on God's behalf.

³ I will get my knowledge from afar, and 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, and doesn't despise anyone. He is mighty in strength of understanding.

⁶ He doesn't preserve the life of the wicked, but gives to the afflicted their right.

⁷ He doesn't withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne, he sets them forever, and they are exalted.

⁸ If they are bound in fetters, and are taken in the cords of afflictions,

⁹ then he shows them their work, and their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.

¹⁰ He also opens their ears to instruction, and commands that they return from iniquity.

¹¹ If they listen and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

¹² But if they don't listen, they shall perish by the sword; they shall die without knowledge.

¹³ "But those who are godless in heart lay up anger. They don't cry for help when he binds them.

¹⁴ They die in youth. Their life perishes among the unclean.

¹⁵ He delivers the afflicted by their affliction, and opens their ear in oppression.

¹⁶ Yes, he would have allured you out of distress, into a broad place, where there is no restriction. That which is set on your table would be full of fatness.

¹⁷ "But you are full of the judgment of the wicked. Judgment and justice take hold of you.

¹⁸ Don't let riches entice you to wrath, neither let the great size of a bribe turn you aside.

¹⁹ Would your wealth sustain you in distress, or all the might of your strength?

²⁰ Don't desire the night, when people are cut off in their place.

²¹ Take heed, don't regard iniquity; for you have chosen this rather than affliction.

²² Behold, God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him?

²³ Who has prescribed his way for him? Or who can say, 'You have committed unrighteousness?'

²⁴ "Remember that you magnify his work, whereof men have sung.

²⁵ All men have looked thereon. Man sees it afar off.

²⁶ Behold, God is great, and we don't know him. The number of his years is unsearchable.

²⁷ For he draws up the drops of water, which distill in rain from his vapor,

²⁸ Which the skies pour down and which drop on man abundantly.

²⁹ Yes, can any understand the spreading of the clouds, and the thunderings of his pavilion?

³⁰ Behold, he spreads his light around him. He covers the bottom of the sea.

³¹ For by these he judges the people. He gives food in abundance.

³² He covers his hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark.

³³ Its noise tells about him, and the livestock also concerning the storm that comes up.

¹ "Yes, at this my heart trembles, and is moved out of its place.

² Hear, oh, hear the noise of his voice, the sound that goes out of his mouth.

³ He sends it forth under the whole sky, and his lightning to the ends of the earth.

⁴ After it a voice roars. He thunders with the voice of his majesty. He doesn't hold back anything when his voice is heard.

⁵ God thunders marvelously with his voice. He does great things, which we can't comprehend.

⁶ For he says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth;' likewise to the shower of rain, and to the showers of his mighty rain.

⁷ He seals up the hand of every man, that all men whom he has made may know it.

⁸ Then the animals take cover, and remain in their dens.

⁹ Out of its room comes the storm, and cold out of the north.

¹⁰ By the breath of God, ice is given, and the breadth of the waters is frozen.

¹¹ Yes, he loads the thick cloud with moisture. He spreads abroad the cloud of his lightning.

¹² It is turned around by his guidance, that they may do whatever he commands them on the surface of the habitable world,

¹³ Whether it is for correction, or for his land, or for loving kindness, that he causes it to come.

¹⁴ "Listen to this, Job. Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

¹⁵ Do you know how God controls them, and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?

¹⁶ Do you know the workings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge?

¹⁷ You whose clothing is warm, when the earth is still by reason of the south wind?

¹⁸ Can you, with him, spread out the sky, which is strong as a cast metal mirror?

¹⁹ Teach us what we shall tell him, for we can't make our case by reason of darkness.

²⁰ Shall it be told him that I would speak? Or should a man wish that he were swallowed up?

²¹ Now men don't see the light which is bright in the skies, but the wind passes, and clears them.

²² Out of the north comes golden splendor. With God is awesome majesty.

²³ We can't reach the Almighty. He is exalted in power. In justice and great righteousness, he will not oppress.

²⁴ Therefore men revere him. He doesn't regard any who are wise of heart."

¹ Then Yahweh answered Job out of the whirlwind,

² "Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

³ Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you answer me!

⁴ "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding.

⁵ Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?

⁶ Whereupon were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone,

⁷ when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁸ "Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth from the womb,

⁹ when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness,

¹⁰ marked out for it my bound, set bars and doors,

¹¹ and said, 'Here you may come, but no further. Here your proud waves shall be stayed?'

¹² "Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place;

¹³ that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and shake the wicked out of it?

¹⁴ It is changed as clay under the seal, and stands forth as a garment.

¹⁵ From the wicked, their light is withheld. The high arm is broken.

¹⁶ "Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep?

¹⁷ Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?

¹⁸ Have you comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if you know it all.

¹⁹ "What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is its place,

²⁰ that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house?

²¹ Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!

²² Have you entered the treasuries of the snow, or have you seen the treasures of the hail,

²³ which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

²⁴ By what way is the lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth?

²⁵ Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunderstorm;

²⁶ To cause it to rain on a land where no man is; on the wilderness, in which there is no man;

²⁷ to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, to cause the tender grass to spring forth?

²⁸ Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew?

²⁹ Out of whose womb came the ice? The gray frost of the sky, who has given birth to it?

³⁰ The waters become hard like stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen.

³¹ "Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?

³² Can you lead forth the constellations in their season? Or can you guide the Bear with her cubs?

³³ Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth?

³⁴ "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover you?

³⁵ Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, 'Here we are?'

³⁶ Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind?

³⁷ Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of the sky,

³⁸ when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods of earth stick together?

³⁹ "Can you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

⁴⁰ when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket?

⁴¹ Who provides for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food?

¹ "Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns?

² Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they give birth?

³ They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, they end their labor pains.

⁴ Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go forth, and don't return again.

⁵ "Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey,

⁶ Whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place?

⁷ He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shouting of the driver.

⁸ The range of the mountains is his pasture, He searches after every green thing.

⁹ "Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough?

¹⁰ Can you hold the wild ox in the furrow with his harness? Or will he till the valleys after you?

¹¹ Will you trust him, because his strength is great? Or will you leave to him your labor?

¹² Will you confide in him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather the grain of your threshing floor?