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AUGUST 22
And your companions with you. 15 And now, because He has not punished
5 Look to the heavens and see; in His anger,
And behold the clouds— Nor taken much notice of folly,
They are higher than you. 16 Therefore Job opens his mouth in vain;
6 If you sin, what do you accomplish He multiplies words without
against Him? knowledge.”
Or, if your transgressions are
multiplied, what do you do to Him? 36 Elihu also proceeded and said:
7 If you are righteous, what do you give
2 “Bear with me a little, and I will show you
Him?
Or what does He receive from your That there are yet words to speak on
hand? God’s behalf.
8 Your wickedness affects a man such as 3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar;
you, I will ascribe righteousness to my
And your righteousness a son of man. Maker.
4 For truly my words are not false;
9 “Because of the multitude of oppressions One who is perfect in knowledge is
they cry out; with you.
They cry out for help because of the
arm of the mighty. 5 “Behold, God is mighty, but despises no
10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my one;
Maker, He is mighty in strength of
Who gives songs in the night, understanding.
11 Who teaches us more than the beasts 6 He does not preserve the life of the
of the earth, wicked,
And makes us wiser than the birds of But gives justice to the oppressed.
heaven?’ 7 He does not withdraw His eyes from
12 There they cry out, but He does not the righteous;
answer, But they are on the throne with kings,
Because of the pride of evil men. For He has seated them forever,
13 Surely God will not listen to empty talk, And they are exalted.
Nor will the Almighty regard it. 8 And if they are bound in fetters,
14 Although you say you do not see Him, Held in the cords of affliction,
Yet justice is before Him, and you must 9 Then He tells them their work and
wait for Him. their transgressions—
That they have acted defiantly.
10 He also opens their ear to instruction,
And commands that they turn from
iniquity.
35:1–16 Elihu again referred to Job’s com- 11 If they obey and serve Him,
plaints, first of all his thinking that there They shall spend their days in
appeared to be no advantage to being righ- prosperity,
teous (v. 3), which Job had said, as recorded in And their years in pleasures.
21:15 and 34:9. The first part of his answer is 12 But if they do not obey,
that Job gained nothing by sinning or not sin- They shall perish by the sword,
ning because God was so high that nothing And they shall die without knowledge.
men do affects Him (vv. 5–7). It only affects
other men (v.8).Job had also complained that 13 “But the hypocrites in heart store up
God did not answer his prayers when he cried wrath;
under this oppression (see 24:12; 30:20). Elihu They do not cry for help when He
coldly gave 3 reasons why Job’s prayers had binds them.
not been heard: pride (vv. 10,12), wrong 14 They die in youth,
motives (v. 13), and lack of patient trust (v. 14). And their life ends among the
Again, all this theoretical talk missed Job’s perverted persons.
predicament completely because he was 15 He delivers the poor in their affliction,
righteous. Elihu was no more help than the And opens their ears in oppression.
other counselors.
16
“Indeed He would have brought you out
of dire distress,

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