Job 35-38 - Prayer Tents

Elihu Reminds Job of God’s Justice

35Then Elihu said.H453H6030H559 2"Do you think it is right for you to claim, 'I am righteous before God'?H2803H4941H559H6664H410 3For you also ask, 'What's in it for me? What's the use of living a righteous life?'H559H5532H3276H2403 4"I will answer you and all your friends, too.H7725H4405H7453 5Look up into the sky, and see the clouds high above you.H5027H8064H7200H7789H7834H1361 6If you sin, how does that affect God? Even if you sin again and again, what effect will it have on him?H2398H6466H6588H7231H6213 7If you are good, is this some great gift to him? What could you possibly give him?H6663H5414H3947H3027 8No, your sins affect only people like yourself, and your good deeds also affect only humans.H7562H376H6666H1121H120 9"People cry out when they are oppressed. They groan beneath the power of the mighty.H7230H6217H2199H7768H2220H7227 10Yet they don't ask, 'Where is God my Creator, the one who gives songs in the night?H559H433H6213H5414H2158H3915 11Where is the one who makes us smarter than the animals and wiser than the birds of the sky?'H502H929H776H2449H5775H8064 12And when they cry out, God does not answer because of their pride.H6817H6030H6440H1347H7451 13But it is wrong to say God doesn't listen, to say the Almighty isn't concerned.H410H8085H7723H7706H7789 14You say you can't see him, but he will bring justice if you will only wait.H637H559H7789H1779H6440H2342 15You say he does not respond to sinners with anger and is not greatly concerned about wickedness.H6485H639H3045H3966H6580 16But you are talking nonsense, Job. You have spoken like a fool."H347H6475H6310H1892H3527H4405H1097H1847

36Elihu continued speaking.H453H3254H559 2"Let me go on, and I will show you the truth. For I have not finished defending God!H3803H2191H2331H4405H433 3I will present profound arguments for the righteousness of my Creator.H5375H1843H7350H5414H6664H6466 4I am telling you nothing but the truth, for I am a man of great knowledge.H551H4405H8267H8549H1844 5"God is mighty, but he does not despise anyone! He is mighty in both power and understanding.H410H3524H3988H3524H3581H3820 6He does not let the wicked live but gives justice to the afflicted.H2421H7563H5414H4941H6041 7He never takes his eyes off the innocent, but he sets them on thrones with kings and exalts them forever.H1639H5869H6662H4428H3678H3427H5331H1361 8If they are bound in chains and caught up in a web of trouble,H631H2131H3920H2256H6040 9he shows them the reason. He shows them their sins of pride.H5046H6467H6588H1396 10He gets their attention and commands that they turn from evil.H1540H241H4148H559H7725H205 11"If they listen and obey God, they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. All their years will be pleasant.H8085H5647H3615H3117H2896H8141H5273 12But if they refuse to listen to him, they will be killed by the sword and die from lack of understanding.H8085H5674H7973H1478H1847 13For the godless are full of resentment. Even when he punishes them, they refuse to cry out to him for help.H2611H3820H7760H639H7768H631 14They die when they are young, after wasting their lives in immoral living.H5315H4191H5290H2416H6945 15But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity.H2502H6041H6040H1540H241H3906 16"God is leading you away from danger, Job, to a place free from distress. He is setting your table with the best food.H5496H6310H6862H7338H8478H4164H5183H7979H4390H1880 17But you are obsessed with whether the godless will be judged. Don't worry, judgment and justice will be upheld.H4390H1779H7563H1779H4941H8551 18But watch out, or you may be seduced by wealth. Don't let yourself be bribed into sin.H2534H5496H5607H7230H3724H5186 19Could all your wealth or all your mighty efforts keep you from distress?H6186H7769H1222H3981H3581 20Do not long for the cover of night, for that is when people will be destroyed.H7602H3915H5971H5927 21Be on guard! Turn back from evil, for God sent this suffering to keep you from a life of evil.H8104H6437H205H977H6040

Elihu Reminds Job of God’s Power

22"Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him?H410H7682H3581H3384 23No one can tell him what to do, or say to him, 'You have done wrong.'H6485H1870H559H6466H5766 24Instead, glorify his mighty works, singing songs of praise.H2142H7679H6467H582H7891 25Everyone has seen these things, though only from a distance.H120H2372H582H5027H7350 26"Look, God is greater than we can understand. His years cannot be counted.H410H7689H3045H4557H8141H2714 27He draws up the water vapor and then distills it into rain.H1639H5198H4325H2212H4306H108 28The rain pours down from the clouds, and everyone benefits.H7834H5140H7491H120H7227 29Who can understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunder that rolls forth from heaven?H995H4666H5645H8663H5521 30See how he spreads the lightning around him and how it lights up the depths of the sea.H6566H216H3680H8328H3220 31By these mighty acts he nourishes the people, giving them food in abundance.H1777H5971H5414H400H4342 32He fills his hands with lightning bolts and hurls each at its target.H3709H3680H216H6680H6293 33The thunder announces his presence; the storm announces his indignant anger.H7452H5046H4735H5927

37"My heart pounds as I think of this. It trembles within me.H2063H3820H2729H5425H4725 2Listen carefully to the thunder of God's voice as it rolls from his mouth.H8085H8085H7267H6963H1899H3318H6310 3It rolls across the heavens, and his lightning flashes in every direction.H3474H8281H8064H216H3671H776 4Then comes the roaring of the thunder—the tremendous voice of his majesty. He does not restrain it when he speaks.H310H6963H7580H7481H6963H1347H6117H6963H8085 5God's voice is glorious in the thunder. We can't even imagine the greatness of his power.H410H7481H6381H6963H1419H6213H3045 6"He directs the snow to fall on the earth and tells the rain to pour down.H559H7950H1933H776H4306H1653H4306H1653H5797 7Then everyone stops working so they can watch his power.H2856H3027H120H582H3045H4639 8The wild animals take cover and stay inside their dens.H2416H935H1119H695H7931H4585 9The stormy wind comes from its chamber, and the driving winds bring the cold.H2315H935H5492H7135H4215 10God's breath sends the ice, freezing wide expanses of water.H5397H410H7140H5414H7341H4325H4164 11He loads the clouds with moisture, and they flash with his lightning.H7377H2959H5645H6327H216H6051 12The clouds churn about at his direction. They do whatever he commands throughout the earth.H2015H4524H8458H6467H6680H6440H8398H776 13He makes these things happen either to punish people or to show his unfailing love.H4672H7626H776H2617 14"Pay attention to this, Job. Stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God!H238H347H5975H995H6381H410 15Do you know how God controls the storm and causes the lightning to flash from his clouds?H3045H433H7760H216H6051H3313 16Do you understand how he moves the clouds with wonderful perfection and skill?H3045H4657H5645H4652H8549H1843 17When you are sweltering in your clothes and the south wind dies down and everything is still,H899H2525H8252H776H1864 18he makes the skies reflect the heat like a bronze mirror.Can you do that?H7554H7834H2389H3332H7209 19"So teach the rest of us what to say to God. We are too ignorant to make our own arguments.H3045H559H6186H6440H2822 20Should God be notified that I want to speak? Can people even speak when they are confused?H5608H1696H376H559H1104 21We cannot look at the sun, for it shines brightly in the sky when the wind clears away the clouds.H7200H925H216H7834H7307H5674H2891 22So also, golden splendor comes from the mountain of God. He is clothed in dazzling splendor.H2091H857H6828H433H3372H1935 23We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though he is just and righteous, he does not destroy us.H7706H4672H7689H3581H4941H7230H6666H6031 24No wonder people everywhere fear him. All who are wise show him reverence."H582H3372H7200H2450H3820

The Lord Challenges Job

38Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind.H3068H6030H347H5591H559 2"Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?H2821H6098H4405H1847 3Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.H247H2504H1397H7592H3045 4"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.H375H3245H776H5046H3045H998 5Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line?H7760H4461H3045H5186H6957 6What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstoneH134H2883H3384H6438H68 7as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?H1242H3556H7442H3162H1121H430H7321 8"Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst from the womb,H5526H3220H1817H1518H3318H7358 9and as I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it in thick darkness?H7760H6051H3830H6205H2854 10For I locked it behind barred gates, limiting its shores.H7665H2706H7760H1280H1817 11I said, 'This far and no farther will you come. Here your proud waves must stop!'H559H5704H6311H935H3254H1347H1530H7896 12"Have you ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east?H6680H1242H3117H7837H3045H4725 13Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth, to bring an end to the night's wickedness?H270H3671H776H7563H5287 14As the light approaches, the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal; it is robed in brilliant colors.H2015H2563H2368H3320H3830 15The light disturbs the wicked and stops the arm that is raised in violence.H7563H216H4513H7311H2220H7665 16"Have you explored the springs from which the seas come? Have you explored their depths?H935H5033H3220H1980H2714H8415 17Do you know where the gates of death are located? Have you seen the gates of utter gloom?H8179H4194H1540H7200H8179H6757 18Do you realize the extent of the earth? Tell me about it if you know!H995H7338H776H5046H3045 19"Where does light come from, and where does darkness go?H1870H216H7931H2822H4725 20Can you take each to its home? Do you know how to get there?H3947H1366H995H5410H1004 21But of course you know all this! For you were born before it was all created, and you are so very experienced!H3045H3205H4557H3117H7227 22"Have you visited the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of hail?H935H214H7950H7200H214H1259 23(I have reserved them as weapons for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war.)H2820H6256H6862H3117H7128H4421 24Where is the path to the source of light? Where is the home of the east wind?H335H1870H216H2505H6327H6921H776 25"Who created a channel for the torrents of rain? Who laid out the path for the lightning?H6385H8585H7858H1870H2385H6963 26Who makes the rain fall on barren land, in a desert where no one lives?H4305H776H376H4057H120 27Who sends rain to satisfy the parched ground and make the tender grass spring up?H7646H7722H4875H4161H1877H6779 28"Does the rain have a father? Who gives birth to the dew?H3426H4306H1H3205H96H2919 29Who is the mother of the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens?H990H3318H7140H3713H8064H3205 30For the water turns to ice as hard as rock, and the surface of the water freezes.H4325H2244H68H6440H8415H3920 31"Can you direct the movement of the stars—binding the cluster of the Pleiades or loosening the cords of Orion?H7194H4575H3598H6605H4189H3685 32Can you direct the sequence of the seasons or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens?H3318H4216H6256H5148H5906H1121 33Do you know the laws of the universe? Can you use them to regulate the earth?H3045H2708H8064H7760H4896H776 34"Can you shout to the clouds and make it rain?H7311H6963H5645H8229H4325H3680 35Can you make lightning appear and cause it to strike as you direct?H7971H1300H3212H559 36Who gives intuition to the heart and instinct to the mind?H7896H2451H2910H5414H998H7907 37Who is wise enough to count all the clouds? Who can tilt the water jars of heavenH5608H7834H2451H7901H5035H8064 38when the parched ground is dry and the soil has hardened into clods?H6083H3332H4165H7263H1692 39"Can you stalk prey for a lioness and satisfy the young lions' appetitesH6679H2964H3833H4390H2416H3715 40as they lie in their dens or crouch in the thicket?H7817H4585H3427H5521H3926H695 41Who provides food for the ravens when their young cry out to God and wander about in hunger?H3559H6158H6718H3206H7768H410H8582H1097H400