| New International Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Elihu continued: | 1Then Elihu continued, saying: |
| 2"Bear with me a little longer and I will show you that there is more to be said in God's behalf. | 2Be patient with me a little longer, and I will inform you, for there is still more to be said on God's behalf. |
| 3I get my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe justice to my Maker. | 3I will get my knowledge from a distant place and ascribe justice to my Maker. |
| 4Be assured that my words are not false; one who has perfect knowledge is with you. | 4For my arguments are without flaw; one who has perfect knowledge is with you. |
| 5"God is mighty, but despises no one; he is mighty, and firm in his purpose. | 5Yes, God is mighty, but He despises no one; He understands all things. |
| 6He does not keep the wicked alive but gives the afflicted their rights. | 6He does not keep the wicked alive, but He gives justice to the afflicted. |
| 7He does not take his eyes off the righteous; he enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever. | 7He does not remove His gaze from the righteous, but He seats them forever with enthroned kings, and they are exalted. |
| 8But if people are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction, | 8If people are bound with chains and trapped by the cords of affliction, |
| 9he tells them what they have done-- that they have sinned arrogantly. | 9God tells them what they have done and how arrogantly they have transgressed. |
| 10He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil. | 10He opens their ears to correction and insists they repent from iniquity. |
| 11If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. | 11If they serve Him obediently, they will end their days in prosperity and their years in happiness. |
| 12But if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword and die without knowledge. | 12But if they do not obey, they will cross the river of death and die without knowledge. |
| 13"The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help. | 13Those who have a godless heart harbor anger; even when God binds them, they do not cry for help. |
| 14They die in their youth, among male prostitutes of the shrines. | 14They die in their youth; their life ends among male cult prostitutes. |
| 15But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction. | 15God rescues the afflicted by their affliction; He instructs them by their torment. |
| 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. | 16Indeed, He lured you from the jaws of distress to a spacious and unconfined place. Your table was spread with choice food. |
| 17But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have taken hold of you. | 17Yet now you are obsessed with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have seized you. |
| 18Be careful that no one entices you by riches; do not let a large bribe turn you aside. | 18Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a large ransom lead you astray. |
| 19Would your wealth or even all your mighty efforts sustain you so you would not be in distress? | 19Can your wealth or all your physical exertion keep you from distress? |
| 20Do not long for the night, to drag people away from their homes. | 20Do not long for the night when nations will disappear from their places. |
| 21Beware of turning to evil, which you seem to prefer to affliction. | 21Be careful that you do not turn to iniquity, for that is why you have been tested by affliction. |
| 22"God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him? | 22Look, God shows Himself exalted by His power. Who is a teacher like Him? |
| 23Who has prescribed his ways for him, or said to him, 'You have done wrong'? | 23Who has appointed His way for Him, and who has declared, "You have done wrong"? |
| 24Remember to extol his work, which people have praised in song. | 24Remember that you should praise His work, which people have sung about. |
| 25All humanity has seen it; mortals gaze on it from afar. | 25All mankind has seen it; people have looked at it from a distance. |
| 26How great is God--beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out. | 26Yes, God is exalted beyond our knowledge; the number of His years cannot be counted. |
| 27"He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; | 27For He makes waterdrops evaporate; they distill the rain into its mist, |
| 28the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. | 28which the clouds pour out and shower abundantly on mankind. |
| 29Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thunders from his pavilion? | 29Can anyone understand how the clouds spread out or how the thunder roars from God's pavilion? |
| 30See how he scatters his lightning about him, bathing the depths of the sea. | 30See how He spreads His lightning around Him and covers the depths of the sea. |
| 31This is the way he governs the nations and provides food in abundance. | 31For He judges the nations with these; He gives food in abundance. |
| 32He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. | 32He covers His hands with lightning and commands it to hit its mark. |
| 33His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach. | 33The thunder declares His presence; the cattle also, the approaching storm. |
| 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. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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