1 ¶ And Elihu added and said,

Elihu also proceeded, and said,

2 W ait for me a little, and I will teach thee; for I yet speak on God’s behalf.

Suffer me a little, and I will show thee; For I have yet somewhat to say on God's behalf.

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

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

4 F or truly my words are not lies; for I share perfect knowledge with thee.

For truly my words are not false: One that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

5 ¶ Behold, God is mighty and does not despise; he is mighty in virtue of heart.

Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: He is mighty in strength of understanding.

6 H e shall not give life to the wicked; but to the poor he shall give their right.

He preserveth not the life of the wicked, But giveth to the afflicted their right.

7 H e shall not withdraw his eyes from the righteous; but with kings he shall place them on the throne for ever, and they shall be exalted.

He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: But with kings upon the throne He setteth them for ever, and they are exalted.

8 A nd if they were bound in fetters and captive in cords of affliction,

And if they be bound in fetters, And be taken in the cords of afflictions;

9 t hen he shall show them their work and that their rebellions prevailed.

Then he showeth them their work, And their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.

10 H e opens their ear to instruction and commands that they turn from iniquity.

He openeth also their ear to instruction, And commandeth that they return from iniquity.

11 I f they hearken and serve him, they shall spend their days in goodness and their years in delight.

If they hearken and serve him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures.

12 B ut if they do not hearken, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

But if they hearken not, they shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge.

13 B ut the hypocrites in heart shall irritate him more; they shall not cry out when he binds them.

But they that are godless in heart lay up anger: They cry not for help when he bindeth them.

14 T heir soul shall die in youth, and their life is among the male pagan cult prostitutes.

They die in youth, And their life perisheth among the unclean.

15 ¶ He shall deliver the poor from his poverty, and in affliction shall open their ears.

He delivereth the afflicted by their affliction, And openeth their ear in oppression.

16 L ikewise, he would have removed thee out of the mouth of anguish into a broad place where there is no distress and should have set thy table full of fatness.

Yea, he would have allured thee out of distress Into a broad place, where there is no straitness; And that which is set on thy table would be full of fatness.

17 B ut thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked, against the judgment and the justice that sustain everything.

But thou art full of the judgment of the wicked: Judgment and justice take hold on thee.

18 T herefore it is to be feared that he take thee away with a stroke, which cannot be avoided even with a great ransom.

For let not wrath stir thee up against chastisements; Neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside.

19 W ill he esteem thy riches? No, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.

Will thy cry avail, that thou be not in distress, Or all the forces of thy strength?

20 D o not desire the night, when he cuts people off in their place.

Desire not the night, When peoples are cut off in their place.

21 T ake heed, do not regard iniquity, to choose it rather than poverty.

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

22 B ehold, God is exalted by his power; what teacher is like him?

Behold, God doeth loftily in his power: Who is a teacher like unto him?

23 W ho has prescribed his way unto him? Or who shall say unto him, Thou hast wrought iniquity?

Who hath enjoined him his way? Or who can say, Thou hast wrought unrighteousness?

24 ¶ Remember to magnify his work, which men behold.

Remember that thou magnify his work, Whereof men have sung.

25 E very man may see it; man may behold it afar off.

All men have looked thereon; Man beholdeth it afar off.

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

Behold, God is great, and we know him not; The number of his years is unsearchable.

27 F or he detains the drops of water; when the rain pours down rain out of its vapour,

For he draweth up the drops of water, Which distil in rain from his vapor,

28 w hich the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.

Which the skies pour down And drop upon man abundantly.

29 S hall you understand the spreadings of the clouds or the noise of his tent?

Yea, can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, The thunderings of his pavilion?

30 B ehold, he spreads his light upon it and covers the roots of the sea.

Behold, he spreadeth his light around him; And he covereth the bottom of the sea.

31 F or by them he judges the peoples; he gives food to the multitude.

For by these he judgeth the peoples; He giveth food in abundance.

32 W ith the clouds he covers the light and commands them to come against the light.

He covereth his hands with the lightning, And giveth it a charge that it strike the mark.

33 T he one gives news of the other; the one acquires wrath against the one that comes.

The noise thereof telleth concerning him, The cattle also concerning the storm that cometh up.