Day 81: Job 34–38

1Furthermore Elihu answered and said,

2Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

3For the ear trieth words, as the ^amouth tasteth meat.

4Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good.

5For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.

6Should I lie against my right? ^bmy wound is incurable without transgression.

7What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?

8Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.

9For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.

10Therefore hearken unto me, ye ^cmen of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

11For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.

12Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.

13Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed ^dthe whole world?

14If he set his heart upon ^eman, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;

15All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

16If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.

17Shall even he that hateth right ^fgovern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?

18Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?

19How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.

20In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and ^gthe mighty shall be taken away without hand.

21For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.

22There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

23For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should ^henter into judgment with God.

24He shall break in pieces mighty men without ⁱnumber, and set others in their stead.

25Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are ^jdestroyed.

26He striketh them as wicked men in the ^kopen sight of others;

27Because they turned back from ^lhim, and would not consider any of his ways:

28So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.

29When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:

30That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.

31Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:

32That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

33Should it be ^maccording to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.

34Let men ⁿof understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.

35Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom.

36^oMy desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men.

37For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.

1Elihu spake moreover, and said,

2Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God's?

3For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, ^aif I be cleansed from my sin?

4I will ^banswer thee, and thy companions with thee.

5Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

6If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

7If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

8Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

9By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.

10But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;

11Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

12There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

13Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

14Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.

15But now, because it is not so, ^che hath visited in his anger; yet ^dhe knoweth it not in great extremity:

16Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

1Elihu also proceeded, and said,

2Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that ^aI have yet to speak on God's behalf.

3I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

4For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

5Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and ^bwisdom.

6He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the ^cpoor.

7He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.

8And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction;

9Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.

10He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.

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

12But if they obey not, they shall ^dperish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

13But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them.

14^eThey die in youth, and their life is among the ^funclean.

15He delivereth the ^gpoor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.

16Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and ^hthat which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.

17But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice ⁱtake hold on thee.

18Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot ^jdeliver thee.

19Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.

20Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.

21Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

22Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?

23Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?

24Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold.

25Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.

26Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.

27For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:

28Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.

29Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?

30Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the ^kbottom of the sea.

31For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.

32With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt.

33The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle also concerning ^lthe vapour.

1At this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place.

2^aHear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.

3He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his ^blightning unto the ^cends of the earth.

4After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard.

5God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.

6For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; ^dlikewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.

7He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work.

8Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.

9Out of the ^esouth cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the ^fnorth.

10By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.

11Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth ^ghis bright cloud:

12And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth.

13He causeth it to come, whether for ^hcorrection, or for his land, or for mercy.

14Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

15Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?

16Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?

17How thy garments are warm, when he quieteth the earth by the south wind?

18Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?

19Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.

20Shall it be told him that I speak? if a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up.

21And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them.

22ⁱFair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.

23Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.

24Men do therefore fear him: he respecteth not any that are wise of heart.

1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

2Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

3Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and ^aanswer thou me.

4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou ^bhast understanding.

5Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

6Whereupon are the ^cfoundations thereof ^dfastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

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

8Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

9When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

10And ^ebrake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,

11And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall ^fthy proud waves be stayed?

12Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

13That it might take hold of the ^gends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

14It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.

15And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.

16Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

17Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

18Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.

19Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,

20That thou shouldest take it ^hto the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

21Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?

22Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

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

24By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

25Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;

26To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

27To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

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

29Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

30The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep ⁱis frozen.

31Canst thou bind the sweet influences of ^jPleiades, or loose the bands of ^kOrion?

32Canst thou bring forth ^lMazzaroth in his season? or canst thou ^mguide Arcturus with his sons?

33Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

34Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

35Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, ⁿHere we are?

36Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?

37Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can ^ostay the bottles of heaven,

38When the dust ^pgroweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

39Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill ^qthe appetite of the young lions,

40When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?

41Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.