| English Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1And Elihu continued, and said: | 1Elihu continued: |
| 2“Bear with me a little, and I will show you, for I have yet something to say on God’s behalf. | 2"Bear with me a little longer and I will show you that there is more to be said in God's behalf. |
| 3I will get my knowledge from afar and ascribe righteousness to my Maker. | 3I get my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe justice to my Maker. |
| 4For truly my words are not false; one who is perfect in knowledge is with you. | 4Be assured that my words are not false; one who has perfect knowledge is with you. |
| 5“Behold, God is mighty, and does not despise any; he is mighty in strength of understanding. | 5"God is mighty, but despises no one; he is mighty, and firm in his purpose. |
| 6He does not keep the wicked alive, but gives the afflicted their right. | 6He does not keep the wicked alive but gives the afflicted their rights. |
| 7He does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne he sets them forever, and they are exalted. | 7He does not take his eyes off the righteous; he enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever. |
| 8And if they are bound in chains and caught in the cords of affliction, | 8But if people are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction, |
| 9then he declares to them their work and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly. | 9he tells them what they have done-- that they have sinned arrogantly. |
| 10He opens their ears to instruction and commands that they return from iniquity. | 10He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil. |
| 11If they listen and serve him, they complete their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasantness. | 11If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. |
| 12But if they do not listen, they perish by the sword and die without knowledge. | 12But if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword and die without knowledge. |
| 13“The godless in heart cherish anger; they do not cry for help when he binds them. | 13"The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help. |
| 14They die in youth, and their life ends among the cult prostitutes. | 14They die in their youth, among male prostitutes of the shrines. |
| 15He delivers the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ear by adversity. | 15But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction. |
| 16He also allured you out of distress into a broad place where there was no cramping, and what was set on your table was full of fatness. | 16"He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. |
| 17“But you are full of the judgment on the wicked; judgment and justice seize you. | 17But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have taken hold of you. |
| 18Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing, and let not the greatness of the ransom turn you aside. | 18Be careful that no one entices you by riches; do not let a large bribe turn you aside. |
| 19Will your cry for help avail to keep you from distress, or all the force of your strength? | 19Would your wealth or even all your mighty efforts sustain you so you would not be in distress? |
| 20Do not long for the night, when peoples vanish in their place. | 20Do not long for the night, to drag people away from their homes. |
| 21Take care; do not turn to iniquity, for this you have chosen rather than affliction. | 21Beware of turning to evil, which you seem to prefer to affliction. |
| 22Behold, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him? | 22"God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him? |
| 23Who has prescribed for him his way, or who can say, ‘You have done wrong’? | 23Who has prescribed his ways for him, or said to him, 'You have done wrong'? |
| 24“Remember to extol his work, of which men have sung. | 24Remember to extol his work, which people have praised in song. |
| 25All mankind has looked on it; man beholds it from afar. | 25All humanity has seen it; mortals gaze on it from afar. |
| 26Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable. | 26How great is God--beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out. |
| 27For he draws up the drops of water; they distill his mist in rain, | 27"He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; |
| 28which the skies pour down and drop on mankind abundantly. | 28the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. |
| 29Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, the thunderings of his pavilion? | 29Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thunders from his pavilion? |
| 30Behold, he scatters his lightning about him and covers the roots of the sea. | 30See how he scatters his lightning about him, bathing the depths of the sea. |
| 31For by these he judges peoples; he gives food in abundance. | 31This is the way he governs the nations and provides food in abundance. |
| 32He covers his hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark. | 32He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. |
| 33Its crashing declares his presence; the cattle also declare that he rises. | 33His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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