The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Elihu added:
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And Elihu went on to say,
2 "Bear with me a little, and I will show you that there is more to say on God's behalf.
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Give me a little more time, and I will make it clear to you; for I have still something to say for God.
3 I may search far and wide for my arguments, but I will ascribe righteousness to God my maker.
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I will get my knowledge from far, and I will give righteousness to my Maker.
4 For the fact is that my words are true; you have with you a man whose views are pure.
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For truly my words are not false; one who has all knowledge is talking with you.
5 "Look, God is powerful and despises no one, powerful in his strength of understanding.
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Truly, God gives up the hard-hearted, and will not give life to the sinner.
6 He does not preserve the lives of the wicked, but he gives justice to the poor.
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His eyes are ever on the upright, and he gives to the crushed their right;
7 He does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous; but when he sets kings on their throne forever, they may become proud;
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Lifting them up to the seat of kings, and making them safe for ever.
8 if, then, they are bound in chains, held in oppressive cords,
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And if they have been prisoned in chains, and taken in cords of trouble,
9 he shows them the results of their doings, the crimes caused by their pride.
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Then he makes clear to them what they have done, even their evil works in which they have taken pride.
10 He sounds a warning in their ears and orders them to repent of their evil.
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Their ear is open to his teaching, and he gives them orders so that their hearts may be turned from evil.
11 "If they pay attention and obey him, they spend their days in prosperity; their years pass pleasantly.
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If they give ear to his voice, and do his word, then he gives them long life, and years full of pleasure.
12 But if they don't pay attention, they perish by the sword and die without learning their lesson.
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But if not, they come to their end, and give up their breath without knowledge.
13 The godless in heart cherish their anger, not crying for help when he binds them.
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Those who have no fear of God keep wrath stored up in their hearts; they give no cry for help when they are made prisoners.
14 Their soul perishes in their youth, and their life becomes depraved.
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They come to their end while they are still young, their life is short like that of those who are used for sex purposes in the worship of their gods.
15 "God, with his affliction, delivers the afflicted; and he gets their attention by pressing on them.
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He makes the wrong done to the poor the way of their salvation, opening their ears by their trouble.
16 Indeed [Iyov], he is drawing you away from distress to an untroubled open place, with rich food on your table.
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17 But the judgment on the wicked applies fully to you, judgment and condemnation take hold [of them].
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18 For beware of wrath when abundance entices you; don't let a big bribe turn you aside.
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19 Will your great wealth help you? or all your efforts, no matter how strong?
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20 Don't desire the night, when people suddenly die.
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21 Be careful; turn away from wrongdoing; for because of this, you have been tested by affliction.
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Take care not to be turned to sin, for you have taken evil for your part in place of sorrow.
22 "Look, God is exalted in his strength; who is a teacher like him?
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Truly God is lifted up in strength; who is a ruler like him?
23 Who ever prescribed his course for him? Who ever said, 'What you are doing is wrong'?
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Who ever gave orders to him, or said to him, You have done wrong?
24 Remember, rather, to magnify his work, of which many have sung.
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See that you give praise to his work, about which men make songs.
25 Everyone has seen it, [but] humans see it [only] from a distance.
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All people are looking on it; man sees it from far.
26 Look, God is great, beyond what we can know; the number of his years is uncountable.
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Truly, God is great, greater than all our knowledge; the number of his years may not be searched out.
27 "He makes the droplets of water, which condense into rain from his mist.
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For he takes up the drops from the sea; he sends them through his mist as rain,
28 The clouds pour it down upon humankind in abundance.
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Flowing down from the sky, and dropping on the peoples.
29 Can anyone fathom the spreading of the clouds, or the crashes that come from his canopy?
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And who has knowledge of how the clouds are stretched out, or of the thunders of his tent?
30 See how he scatters his lightning over it and covers the roots of the sea.
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See, he is stretching out his mist, covering the tops of the mountains with it.
31 By these things he judges the people and also gives food in plenty.
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For by these he gives food to the peoples, and bread in full measure.
32 He gathers the lightning into his hands and commands it to strike the target.
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He takes the light in his hands, sending it against the mark.
33 Its crashing announces its presence and apprises the cattle of what is coming.
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The thunder makes clear his passion, and the storm gives news of his wrath.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.