King James Version KJV
Good News Translation GNT
1 Elihu also proceeded, and said,
1
Be patient and listen a little longer to what I am saying on God's behalf.
2 Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on God's behalf.
3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
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My knowledge is wide; I will use what I know to show that God, my Creator, is just.
4 For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.
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Nothing I say to you is false; you see before you a truly wise man.
5 Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.
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How strong God is! He despises no one; there is nothing he doesn't understand.
6 He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor.
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He does not let sinners live on, and he always treats the poor with justice.
7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.
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He protects those who are righteous; he allows them to rule like kings and lets them be honored forever.
8 And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction;
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But if people are bound in chains, suffering for what they have done,
9 Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.
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God shows them their sins and their pride.
10 He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.
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He makes them listen to his warning to turn away from evil.
11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
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If they obey God and serve him, they live out their lives in peace and prosperity.
12 But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.
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But if not, they will die in ignorance and cross the stream into the world of the dead.
13 But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them.
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Those who are godless keep on being angry, and even when punished, they don't pray for help.
14 They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.
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They die while they are still young, worn out by a life of disgrace.
15 He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.
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But God teaches people through suffering and uses distress to open their eyes.
16 Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.
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God brought you out of trouble, and let you enjoy security; your table was piled high with food.
17 But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee.
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But now you are being punished as you deserve.
18 Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.
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Be careful not to let bribes deceive you, or riches lead you astray.
19 Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.
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It will do you no good to cry out for help; all your strength can't help you now.
20 Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.
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Don't wish for night to come, the time when nations will perish.
21 Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.
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Be careful not to turn to evil; your suffering was sent to keep you from it.
22 Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?
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Remember how great is God's power; he is the greatest teacher of all.
23 Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?
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No one can tell God what to do or accuse him of doing evil.
24 Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold.
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He has always been praised for what he does; you also must praise him.
25 Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.
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Everyone has seen what he has done; but we can only watch from a distance.
26 Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.
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We cannot fully know his greatness or count the number of his years.
27 For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:
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It is God who takes water from the earth and turns it into drops of rain.
28 Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.
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He lets the rain pour from the clouds in showers for all human beings.
29 Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?
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No one knows how the clouds move or how the thunder roars through the sky, where God dwells.
30 Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
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He sends lightning through all the sky, but the depths of the sea remain dark.
31 For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.
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This is how he feeds the people and provides an abundance of food.
32 With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt.
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He seizes the lightning with his hands and commands it to hit the mark.
33 The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour.
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Thunder announces the approaching storm, and the cattle know it is coming.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.