Job

Elihu also proceeded, and said,

1Elihu kept on speaking. He said:

2Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on God’s behalf.

2Bear with me a little longer. I still have more to say for God.

Note"Suffer me a little" in the KJV means "be patient with me," not to cause pain.

3I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

3I will bring my knowledge from far away. I will show that my Maker does what is right.

4For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

4My words are not false. Someone with complete knowledge is standing here with you.

5Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.

5Look: God is mighty, but he looks down on no one. He is mighty in strength and understanding.

6He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor.

6He does not keep wicked people alive. He gives justice to those who are poor and hurting.

7He 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.

7He never takes his eyes off those who do right. He seats them with kings and lifts them high forever.

8And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction;

8But if people are locked in chains, and held tight by ropes of trouble,

9Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.

9then he shows them what they have done, and how proudly they have broken his rules.

10He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.

10He opens their ears to correction. He tells them to turn away from doing wrong.

11If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

11If they obey and serve him, they will live out their days well off and content.

12But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

12But if they will not obey, they will die by the sword, having never learned.

13But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them.

13People with godless hearts store up anger. Even when God ties them up, they do not cry for help.

14They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.

14They die while still young. Their lives end among men who sell their bodies at pagan shrines.

15He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.

15God rescues suffering people through their suffering. He opens their ears while they are being treated badly.

16Even 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.

16He was drawing you out of a tight, hard place into a wide open one. Your table there would be full of rich food.

Note"Strait" and "straitness" mean a narrow, cramped place. The picture is being pulled out of a tight spot into open ground.

17But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee.

17But now you carry the sentence that wicked people deserve. Judgment and justice have taken hold of you.

18Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.

18Watch out, because anger is here. Do not let one blow sweep you away. No payment, however large, could buy you back.

19Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.

19Would your riches count for anything? No, not gold, and not all your strength either.

20Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.

20Do not long for the night, when people are swept away from the places where they live.

21Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

21Be careful. Do not turn to wrongdoing. You have chosen that instead of accepting hardship.

22Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?

22Look: God lifts people up by his power. Who teaches the way he does?

23Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?

23Who ever told God which way to go? Who can say to him, "You have done wrong"?

24Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold.

24Remember to praise the work he has done, work that people can see.

25Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.

25Everyone is able to look at it. People see it even from far away.

26Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.

26Look: God is great, greater than we can know. No one can count up his years.

27For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:

27He draws the drops of water upward. They fall back down as rain out of the mist.

28Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.

28The clouds pour that water out. They shower it down on people in plenty.

29Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?

29Can anyone understand how the clouds spread out, or how the thunder rolls from God's tent?

Note"Tabernacle" means tent. Here it pictures the sky as God's tent, with thunder rumbling out of it.

30Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.

30See how he spreads his lightning around him. He covers the deep places of the sea.

31For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.

31With these things he judges the nations. With these he gives food in plenty.

Note"Meat" in the KJV means food of any kind, not just meat from animals.

32With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt.

32He covers the lightning with clouds. He orders it not to shine when a cloud moves in between.

33The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour.

33The thunder tells that a storm is coming. Even the cattle know it is rising.