New Living Translation NLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 Elihu continued speaking:
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Here Elihu took a deep breath, but kept going:
2 “Let me go on, and I will show you the truth. For I have not finished defending God!
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"Stay with me a little longer. I'll convince you. There's still more to be said on God's side.
3 I will present profound arguments for the righteousness of my Creator.
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I learned all this firsthand from the Source; everything I know about justice I owe to my Maker himself.
4 I am telling you nothing but the truth, for I am a man of great knowledge.
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Trust me, I'm giving you undiluted truth; believe me, I know these things inside and out.
5 “God is mighty, but he does not despise anyone! He is mighty in both power and understanding.
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"It's true that God is all-powerful, but he doesn't bully innocent people.
6 He does not let the wicked live but gives justice to the afflicted.
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For the wicked, though, it's a different story - he doesn't give them the time of day, but champions the rights of their victims.
7 He never takes his eyes off the innocent, but he sets them on thrones with kings and exalts them forever.
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He never takes his eyes off the righteous; he honors them lavishly, promotes them endlessly.
8 If they are bound in chains and caught up in a web of trouble,
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When things go badly, when affliction and suffering descend,
9 he shows them the reason. He shows them their sins of pride.
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God tells them where they've gone wrong, shows them how their pride has caused their trouble.
10 He gets their attention and commands that they turn from evil.
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He forces them to heed his warning, tells them they must repent of their bad life.
11 “If they listen and obey God, they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. All their years will be pleasant.
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If they obey and serve him, they'll have a good, long life on easy street.
12 But if they refuse to listen to him, they will cross over the river of death, dying from lack of understanding.
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But if they disobey, they'll be cut down in their prime and never know the first thing about life.
13 For the godless are full of resentment. Even when he punishes them, they refuse to cry out to him for help.
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Angry people without God pile grievance upon grievance, always blaming others for their troubles.
14 They die when they are young, after wasting their lives in immoral living.
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Living it up in sexual excesses, virility wasted, they die young.
15 But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity.
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But those who learn from their suffering, God delivers from their suffering. Obsessed with Putting the Blame on God
16 “God is leading you away from danger, Job, to a place free from distress. He is setting your table with the best food.
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"Oh, Job, don't you see how God's wooing you from the jaws of danger? How he's drawing you into wide-open places - inviting you to feast at a table laden with blessings?
17 But you are obsessed with whether the godless will be judged. Don’t worry, judgment and justice will be upheld.
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And here you are laden with the guilt of the wicked, obsessed with putting the blame on God!
18 But watch out, or you may be seduced by wealth. Don’t let yourself be bribed into sin.
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Don't let your great riches mislead you; don't think you can bribe your way out of this.
19 Could all your wealth or all your mighty efforts keep you from distress?
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Did you plan to buy your way out of this? Not on your life!
20 Do not long for the cover of night, for that is when people will be destroyed.
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And don't think that night, when people sleep off their troubles, will bring you any relief.
21 Be on guard! Turn back from evil, for God sent this suffering to keep you from a life of evil.
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Above all, don't make things worse with more evil - that's what's behind your suffering as it is!
22 “Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him?
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"Do you have any idea how powerful God is? Have you ever heard of a teacher like him?
23 No one can tell him what to do, or say to him, ‘You have done wrong.’
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Has anyone ever had to tell him what to do, or correct him, saying, 'You did that all wrong!'?
24 Instead, glorify his mighty works, singing songs of praise.
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Remember, then, to praise his workmanship, which is so often celebrated in song.
25 Everyone has seen these things, though only from a distance.
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Everybody sees it; nobody is too far away to see it. No One Can Escape from God
26 “Look, God is greater than we can understand. His years cannot be counted.
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"Take a long, hard look. See how great he is - infinite, greater than anything you could ever imagine or figure out!
27 He draws up the water vapor and then distills it into rain.
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"He pulls water up out of the sea, distills it, and fills up his rain-cloud cisterns.
28 The rain pours down from the clouds, and everyone benefits.
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Then the skies open up and pour out soaking showers on everyone.
29 Who can understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunder that rolls forth from heaven?
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Does anyone have the slightest idea how this happens? How he arranges the clouds, how he speaks in thunder?
30 See how he spreads the lightning around him and how it lights up the depths of the sea.
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Just look at that lightning, his sky-filling light show illumining the dark depths of the sea!
31 By these mighty acts he nourishes the people, giving them food in abundance.
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These are the symbols of his sovereignty, his generosity, his loving care.
32 He fills his hands with lightning bolts and hurls each at its target.
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He hurls arrows of light, taking sure and accurate aim.
33 The thunder announces his presence; the storm announces his indignant anger.
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The High God roars in the thunder, angry against evil.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.