New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Elihu continued and said:
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And Elihu went on to say,
2 "Bear with me a little, and I will show you, for I have yet something 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 will bring my knowledge from far away, and ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
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I will get my knowledge from far, and I will give righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words are not false; one who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
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For truly my words are not false; one who has all knowledge is talking with you.
5 "Surely God is mighty and does not despise any; he is mighty in 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 keep the wicked alive, but gives the afflicted their right.
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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 with kings on the throne he sets them forever, and they are exalted.
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Lifting them up to the seat of kings, and making them safe for ever.
8 And if they are bound in fetters and caught in the cords of affliction,
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And if they have been prisoned in chains, and taken in cords of trouble,
9 then he declares to them their work and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly.
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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 opens their ears to instruction, and commands that they return from iniquity.
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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 listen, and serve him, they complete their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasantness.
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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 do not listen, they shall perish by the sword, and die without knowledge.
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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 anger; they do not cry 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 They die in their youth, and their life ends in shame.
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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 He delivers the afflicted by their affliction, and opens their ear by adversity.
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He makes the wrong done to the poor the way of their salvation, opening their ears by their trouble.
16 He also allured you out of distress into a broad place where there was no constraint, and what was set on your table was full of fatness.
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17 "But you are obsessed with the case of the wicked; judgment and justice seize you.
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18 Beware that wrath does not entice you into scoffing, and do not let the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.
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19 Will your cry avail to keep you from distress, or will all the force of your strength?
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20 Do not long for the night, when peoples are cut off in their place.
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21 Beware! Do not turn to iniquity; because of that you have been tried 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 See, God is exalted in his power; 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 has prescribed for him his way, or who can say, "You have done wrong'?
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Who ever gave orders to him, or said to him, You have done wrong?
24 "Remember to extol his work, of which mortals have sung.
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See that you give praise to his work, about which men make songs.
25 All people have looked on it; everyone watches it from far away.
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All people are looking on it; man sees it from far.
26 Surely God is great, and we do not know him; the number of his years is unsearchable.
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Truly, God is great, greater than all our knowledge; the number of his years may not be searched out.
27 For he draws up the drops of water; he distills his mist in rain,
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For he takes up the drops from the sea; he sends them through his mist as rain,
28 which the skies pour down and drop upon mortals abundantly.
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Flowing down from the sky, and dropping on the peoples.
29 Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, the thunderings of his pavilion?
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And who has knowledge of how the clouds are stretched out, or of the thunders of his tent?
30 See, he scatters his lightning around him 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 For by these he governs peoples; he gives food in abundance.
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For by these he gives food to the peoples, and bread in full measure.
32 He covers his hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark.
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He takes the light in his hands, sending it against the mark.
33 Its crashing tells about him; he is jealous with anger against iniquity.
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The thunder makes clear his passion, and the storm gives news of his wrath.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.