New American Standard Bible NAS
New International Version NIV
1 Then Elihu continued and said,
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Elihu continued:
2 "Wait for me a little, and I will show you That there is yet more to be said in God's behalf.
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“Bear with me a little longer and I will show you that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.
3 "I will fetch my knowledge from afar, And I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
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I get my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe justice to my Maker.
4 "For truly my words are not false; One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
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Be assured that my words are not false; one who has perfect knowledge is with you.
5 "Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any; He is mighty in strength of understanding.
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“God is mighty, but despises no one; he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.
6 "He does not keep the wicked alive, But gives justice to the afflicted.
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He does not keep the wicked alive but gives the afflicted their rights.
7 "He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous; But with kings on the throne He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
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He does not take his eyes off the righteous; he enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever.
8 "And if they are bound in fetters, And are caught in the cords of affliction,
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But if people are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction,
9 Then He declares to them their work And their transgressions, that they have magnified themselves.
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he tells them what they have done— that they have sinned arrogantly.
10 "He opens their ear to instruction, And commands that they return from evil.
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He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil.
11 "If they hear and serve Him, They will end their days in prosperity And their years in pleasures.
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If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.
12 "But if they do not hear, they shall perish by the sword And they will die without knowledge.
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But if they do not listen, they will perish by the swordand die without knowledge.
13 "But the godless in heart lay up anger; They do not cry for help when He binds them.
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“The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.
14 "They die in youth, And their life perishes among the cult prostitutes.
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They die in their youth, among male prostitutes of the shrines.
15 "He delivers the afflicted in their affliction, And opens their ear in time of oppression.
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But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction.
16 "Then indeed, He enticed you from the mouth of distress, Instead of it, a broad place with no constraint; And that which was set on your table was full of fatness.
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“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 were full of judgment on the wicked; Judgment and justice take hold of you.
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But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have taken hold of you.
18 "Beware that wrath does not entice you to scoffing; And do not let the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.
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Be careful that no one entices you by riches; do not let a large bribe turn you aside.
19 "Will your riches keep you from distress, Or all the forces of your strength?
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Would your wealth or even all your mighty efforts sustain you so you would not be in distress?
20 "Do not long for the night, When people vanish in their place.
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Do not long for the night, to drag people away from their homes.
21 "Be careful, do not turn to evil, For you have preferred this to affliction.
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Beware of turning to evil, which you seem to prefer to affliction.
22 "Behold, God is exalted in His power; Who is a teacher like Him?
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“God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him?
23 "Who has appointed Him His way, And who has said, 'You have done wrong '?
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Who has prescribed his ways for him, or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’?
24 "Remember that you should exalt His work, Of which men have sung.
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Remember to extol his work, which people have praised in song.
25 "All men have seen it; Man beholds from afar.
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All humanity has seen it; mortals gaze on it from afar.
26 "Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; The number of His years is unsearchable .
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How great is God—beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out.
27 "For He draws up the drops of water, They distill rain from the mist,
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“He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams ;
28 Which the clouds pour down, They drip upon man abundantly.
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the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind.
29 "Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, The thundering of His pavilion?
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Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thunders from his pavilion?
30 "Behold, He spreads His lightning about Him, And He covers the depths of the sea.
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See how he scatters his lightning about him, bathing the depths of the sea.
31 "For by these He judges peoples; He gives food in abundance.
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This is the way he governs the nations and provides food in abundance.
32 "He covers His hands with the lightning, And commands it to strike the mark.
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He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark.
33 "Its noise declares His presence; The cattle also, concerning what is coming up.
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His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach.
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.