Job 33-38
Amplified Bible
Elihu Claims to Speak for God
33 “However, Job, please listen to my words,
And pay attention to everything I say.
2
“Behold, I have opened my mouth [to begin my speech];
My tongue in my mouth is going to speak.
3
“My words will express the uprightness of my heart,
And my lips will speak what they know with utter sincerity.
4
“The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of [a]the Almighty gives me life [which inspires me].
5
“Answer me, if you can;
Set yourselves before me, take your stand.
6
“Behold, I belong to God like you;
I too was formed out of the clay.
7
“Behold, I will not make you afraid or terrified of me [for I am only mortal and not God],
Nor should any pressure from me weigh heavily upon you.
8
“Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying:
9
‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent and there is no guilt in me.
10
‘Behold, God finds pretexts against me;
He counts me as His enemy.
11
‘He puts my feet in the stocks [to hinder and humiliate me];
He [suspiciously] watches all my paths,’ [you say].
12
“Look, let me answer you, in this you are not right or just;
For God is greater and far superior to man.
13
“Why do you complain against Him?
That He does not answer [you with] all His doings.
14
“For God speaks once,
And even twice, yet no one notices it [including you, Job].
15
“In a dream, a vision of the night [one may hear God’s voice],
When deep sleep falls on men
While slumbering upon the bed,
16
Then He opens the ears of men
And seals their instruction,
17
That He may turn man aside from his conduct,
And keep him from pride;
18
He holds back his soul from the pit [of destruction],
And his life from passing over into Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).
19
“Man is also disciplined with pain on his bed,
And with unceasing complaint in his bones,
20
So that his life makes him loathe food,
And his soul [loathe] even his favorite dishes.
21
“His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,
And his bones which were not seen now stick out.
22
“Then his soul draws near to the pit [of destruction],
And his life to those who bring death (the destroyers).
23
“If there is an angel as a mediator for him,
One out of a thousand,
To explain to a man what is right for him [that is, how to be in right standing with God],
24
Then [b]the angel is gracious to him, and says,
‘Spare him from going down to the pit [of destruction];
I have found a ransom [a consideration, or reason for redemption, an atonement]!’
25
“Let his flesh be restored and become fresher than in youth;
Let him return to the days of his youthful strength.
26
“He will pray to God, and He shall be favorable to him,
So that he looks at His face with joy;
For God restores to man His righteousness [that is, his right standing with God—with its joys].
27
“He sings out to other men,
‘I have sinned and perverted that which was right,
And it was not proper for me!
28
‘God has redeemed my life from going to the pit [of destruction],
And my life shall see the light.’”
29
[Elihu comments,] “Behold, God does all these things [c]twice, yes, three times, with a man,
30
To bring his life back from the pit [of destruction],
That he may be enlightened with the light of the living.
31
“Pay attention, Job, listen to me;
Keep silent, and I will speak.
32
“If you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.
33
“If not [and you have nothing to say], listen to me;
Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”
Elihu Vindicates God’s Justice
34 Elihu continued his discourse and said,
2
“Hear my words, you wise men,
And listen to me, you who have [so much] knowledge.
3
“For the ear puts words to the test
As the palate tastes food.
4
“Let us choose for ourselves that which is right;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.
5
“For Job has said, ‘I am righteous [and innocent],
But God has taken away my right;(A)
6
Although I am right, I am accounted a liar.
My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7
“What man is like Job,
Who drinks up derision like water,
8
Who goes in company with those who do evil
And walks with wicked men?
9
“For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
When he takes delight and is pleased with God and obeys Him.’
10
“Therefore hear me, you men of understanding.
Far be it from God that He would do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to do wrong.
11
“For God pays a man according to his work,
And He will make every man find [appropriate] compensation according to his way.
12
“Surely God will not act wickedly,
Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.
13
“Who put God in charge over the earth?
And who has laid on Him the whole world?
14
“If God should determine to do so,
If He should gather to Himself [that is, withdraw from man] His [life-giving] spirit and His breath,
15
All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.(B)
16
“If you now have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words.
17
“Shall one who hates justice [and is an enemy of right] govern?
And will you condemn Him who is just and mighty?
18
“God who says to a king, ‘You are worthless and vile,’
Or to princes and nobles, ‘You are wicked and evil’?
19
“Who is not partial to princes,
Nor does He regard the rich above the poor,
For they all are the work of His hands.
20
“In a moment they die, even at midnight
The people are shaken and pass away,
And the powerful are taken away without a [human] hand.
21
“For God’s eyes are on the ways of a man,
And He sees all his steps.(C)
22
“There is no darkness nor deep shadow
Where the evildoers may hide themselves.
23
“For He sets no appointed time for a man,
That he should appear before Him in judgment.
24
“He breaks mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in their place.(D)
25
“Therefore He knows of their works,
And He overthrows them in the night,
So that they are crushed and destroyed.
26
“He strikes them like the wicked
In a public place,
27
Because they turned aside from following Him
And would not consider or show regard for any of His ways,(E)
28
So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him,
And He heard the cry of the afflicted.(F)
29
“When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn?
When He hides His face [withdrawing His favor and help], who then can behold Him [and make supplication to Him],
Whether it be a nation or a man by himself?—
30
So that godless men would not rule
Nor be snares for the people.
31
“For has anyone said to God,
‘I have endured my chastisement;
I will not offend anymore;
32
Teach me what I do not see [in regard to how I have sinned];
If I have done wrong (injustice, unrighteousness),
I will not do it again’?
33
“Shall God’s retribution [for your sins] be on your terms, because you refuse to accept it?
For you must do the choosing, and not I;
Therefore say what you [truthfully] know.
34
“Men of understanding will tell me,
Indeed, every wise man who hears me [will agree],
35
‘Job speaks without knowledge,
And his words are without wisdom and insight.
36
‘Job ought to be tried [d]to the limit
Because he answers like wicked men!
37
‘For he adds rebellion [in his unsubmissive, defiant attitude toward God] to his [unacknowledged] sin;
He claps his hands among us [in open mockery and contempt of God],
And he multiplies his words [of accusation] against God.’”
Elihu Sharply Reproves Job
35 Elihu continued speaking [to Job] and said,
2
“Do you think this is according to [your] justice?
Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
3
“For you say, ‘What advantage have you [by living a righteous life]?
What profit will I have, more [by being righteous] than if I had sinned?’
4
“I will answer you,
And your companions with you.
5
“Look to the heavens and see;
And behold the skies which are [much] higher than you.
6
“If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him?
And if your transgressions are multiplied, what have you done to Him?
7
“If you are righteous, what do you give God,
Or what does He receive from your hand?
8
“Your wickedness affects only a man such as you,
And your righteousness affects only [e]a son of man [but it cannot affect God, who is sovereign].
9
“Because of the multitudes of oppressions the people cry out;
They cry for help because of the [violent] arm of the mighty.
10
“But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
Who gives songs [of rejoicing] in the night,(G)
11
Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth
And makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’
12
“The people cry out, but He does not answer
Because of the pride of evil men.
13
“Surely God will not listen to an empty cry [which lacks trust],
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
14
“Even though you say that you do not see Him [when missing His righteous judgment on earth],
Yet your case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!
15
“And now, because He has not [quickly] punished in His anger,
Nor has He acknowledged transgression and arrogance well [and seems unaware of the wrong of which a person is guilty],
16
Job uselessly opens his mouth
And multiplies words without knowledge [drawing the worthless conclusion that the righteous have no more advantage than the wicked].”
Elihu Speaks of God’s Dealings with Men
36 Elihu continued and said,
2
“Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you,
That there is yet more to say on God’s behalf.
3
“I will bring my knowledge from afar,
And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4
“For truly my words are not false;
He who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
5
“Behold, God is mighty, and yet does not despise anyone [nor regard any as trivial];
He is mighty in the strength and power of understanding.
6
“He does not prolong the life of the wicked,
But gives the afflicted their justice.
7
“He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous [those in right standing with Him];
But with kings upon the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
8
“And if they are bound in bonds [of adversity],
And held by cords of affliction,(H)
9
Then He declares to them [the true character of] their deeds
And their transgressions, that they have acted arrogantly [with presumption and notions of self-sufficiency].
10
“He opens their ears to instruction and discipline,
And commands that they return from evil.
11
“If they hear and serve Him,
They will end their days in prosperity
And their years in pleasantness and joy.
12
“But if they do not hear and obey, they will die by the sword [of God’s destructive judgments]
And they will die [in ignorance] without [true] knowledge.
13
“But the godless in heart store up anger [at the divine discipline];
They do not cry [to Him] for help when He binds them [with cords of affliction].(I)
14
“They die in youth,
And their life ends among the [f]cult prostitutes.(J)
15
“He rescues the afflicted in their affliction,
And opens their ears [so that they pay attention to His voice] in times of oppression.
16
“Then indeed, He enticed you from the mouth of distress and confinement,
Into a broad place where there is no constraint or distress;
And that which was set on your table was full of fatness (rich food).
17
“But you [Job] were full of judgment on the wicked,
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18
“Do not let wrath entice you into scoffing;
And do not let the greatness and the extent of the ransom turn you aside.
19
“Will your wealth [be sufficient to] keep you from [the confinement of] distress,
Or will all the force of your strength do it?
20
“Do not long for the night,
When people vanish from their places.
21
“Take heed and be careful, do not turn to wickedness,
For you have chosen this [the vice of complaining against God] rather than [learning from] affliction.
22
“Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a ruler or a teacher like Him?
23
“Who has appointed God His way,
And who can say [to Him], ‘You have done wrong’?
24
“Remember that you should magnify God’s work,
Of which men have sung.
25
“All men have seen God’s work;
Man looks at it from a distance.
26
“Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him;
The number of His years is unsearchable.(K)
27
“For He draws up the drops of water,
They distill rain from the mist,
28
Which the clouds pour down,
They drop abundantly upon mankind.”
29
“Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds
Or the thundering of His pavilion?(L)
30
“Behold, He spreads His lightning around Him [against the dark clouds],
And He covers the depths of the sea.
31
“For by these [mighty acts] He judges the peoples;
He gives food in abundance.
32
“He covers His hands with the lightning,
And commands it to strike the mark.
33
“His thundering voice declares [awesomely] His presence;
The cattle also are told of His coming storm.
Elihu Says God has Authority over the Storm
37 “Indeed, at His thundering my heart trembles
And leaps out of its place.
2
“Listen carefully to the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out of His mouth!
3
“He lets it loose under the whole heaven,
And His lightning to the ends of the earth.
4
“After it, His voice roars;
He thunders with the voice of His majesty,
And He does not restrain His lightning [against His adversaries] when His voice is heard.
5
“God thunders marvelously with His voice;
He does great things which we cannot comprehend.
6
“For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;
And [He speaks] to the showers and to the downpour [of His mighty rains], ‘Be strong.’
7
“God seals (brings to a standstill, stops) [by severe weather] the hand of every man,
That all men [whom He has made] may know His work [that is, His sovereign power and their subjection to it].
8
“Then the beast goes into its lair
And remains in its hiding place.
9
“Out of its chamber comes the storm,
And cold from the north wind.
10
“Ice is made by the breath of God,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.(M)
11
“He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
He disperses the cloud of His lightning.
12
“Its direction is turned around by His guidance,
That it may do whatever He commands it
On the face of the inhabited earth.
13
“Whether [it be] for correction, or for His earth [generally]
Or for [His] mercy and lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.(N)
14
“Listen to this, Job;
Stand still and consider the wonders of God.
15
“Do you know how God establishes and commands them,
And makes the lightning of His [storm] cloud shine?
16
“Do you know about the layers of thick clouds [and how they are balanced and poised in the heavens],
The wonderful works of Him who is perfect in knowledge,
17
You whose garments are hot,
When He quiets the earth [in sultry summer] with the [oppressive] south wind?
18
“Can you, with Him, spread out the sky,
Strong as a molten mirror?
19
“Tell us [Job] what words [of man] shall we say to such a Being;
We cannot state our case because of darkness [that is, our ignorance in the presence of the unsearchable God].
20
“So shall it be told Him that I wish to speak?
Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up [and destroyed by God]?
21
“Now people cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies [without being blinded],
When the wind has passed and cleared them.
22
“Out of the north comes golden splendor [and people can hardly look on it];
Around God is awesome splendor and majesty [far too glorious for man’s eyes].
23
“The Almighty—we cannot find Him;
He is exalted in power
And He will not do violence to [nor disregard] justice and abundant righteousness.(O)
24
“Men therefore fear Him;
He does not regard nor respect any who are wise in heart [in their own understanding and conceit].”(P)
God Speaks Now to Job
38 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,
2
“Who is this that darkens counsel [questioning my authority and wisdom]
By words without knowledge?(Q)
3
“Now [g]gird up your loins like a man,
And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!
4
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know and have understanding.
5
“Who determined the measurements [of the earth], if you know?
Or who stretched the [measuring] line on it?
6
“On what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7
When the morning stars sang together
And all the sons of God (angels) shouted for joy?
8
“Or who enclosed the sea with doors
When it burst forth and went out of the womb;
9
When I made the clouds its garment
And thick darkness its swaddling band,
10
And marked for it My [appointed] boundary
And set bars and doors [defining the shorelines],(R)
11
And said, ‘This far you shall come, but no farther;
And here your proud waves shall stop’?(S)
God’s Mighty Power
12
“Since your days began, have you ever commanded the morning,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13
So that light may take hold of the corners of the earth
And shake the wickedness out of it?
14
“The earth is changed like clay into which a seal is pressed;
And the things [of the earth] stand out like a [multi-colored] garment.
15
“Their light is withheld from the wicked,
And the uplifted arm is broken.
16
“Have you entered and explored 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 deep darkness?
18
“Have you understood the expanse of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.
19
“Where is the [h]way where light dwells?
And as for darkness, where is its place,
20
That you may take it to its territory
And that you may know the paths to its house?
21
“You [must] know, since you were born then,
And [i]because you are so extremely old!
22
“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
23
Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?(T)
24
“Where is the way that the light is distributed,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?
25
“Who has prepared a channel for the torrents of rain and for the flood,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
26
To bring rain on the uninhabited land,
And on the desert where no man lives,
27
To satisfy the barren and desolate ground
And to make the seeds of grass to sprout?
28
“Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29
“Out of whose womb has come the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?
30
“Water becomes like stone [and hides itself],
And the surface of the deep is frozen and imprisoned.
31
“Can you bind the chains of [the cluster of stars called] Pleiades,
Or loose the cords of [the constellation] Orion?
32
“Can you lead forth a [j]constellation in its season,
And guide [the stars of] the Bear with her [k]sons?
33
“Do you know the ordinances of the heavens,
Or [can you] establish their rule over the earth?
34
“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
So that an abundance of water will cover you?
35
“Can you send forth lightnings that they may go
And say to you, ‘Here we are’?
36
“Who has put wisdom in the innermost being [of man, or in the layers of clouds]
Or given understanding to the mind [of man, or to the heavenly display]?
37
“Who can count the clouds by [earthly] wisdom,
Or pour out the water jars of the heavens,
38
When the dust hardens into a mass
And the clods stick together [because of the heat]?
39
“Can you [Job] hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions
40
When they crouch in their dens
And lie in wait in their lair?
41
“Who provides prey for the raven
When its young cry to God
And wander about without food?
Footnotes
- Job 33:4 Heb Shaddai.
- Job 33:24 Lit he.
- Job 33:29 Or often.
- Job 34:36 Or to the end.
- Job 35:8 I.e. a human being.
- Job 36:14 I.e. those practicing sodomy and prostitution in pagan religious rites.
- Job 38:3 A phrase often found in the Bible that is an urgent call to get ready for immediate action, or it may be a call to prepare for a coming action or event. The phrase is related to the type of clothing worn in ancient times. To keep from impeding the wearer during any vigorous activity, e.g. battle, exercise, strenuous work, etc., the loose ends of garments (tunics, cloaks, mantles, etc.) had to be gathered up and tucked into the girdle. The girdle was a band about six inches wide that had fasteners in front. It was worn around the loins (the midsection of the body between the lower ribs and the hips). Gird up your mind or gird up your heart are examples of variants of this phrase and call for mental or spiritual preparation for a coming challenge.
- Job 38:19 Light travels on a path or “way” through empty space at 299,792,458 meters per second (approximately 186,282 miles per second).
- Job 38:21 Lit the number of your days is great.
- Job 38:32 Heb Mazzaroth.
- Job 38:32 Or satellites.
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