¹Elihu also proceeded, and said,

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹At this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place.

²Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.

³He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth.

⁴After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard.

⁵God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.

⁶For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.

⁷He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work.

⁸Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.

⁹Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north.

¹⁰By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.

¹¹Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud:

¹²And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth.

¹³He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.

¹⁴Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

¹⁵Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?

¹⁶Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?

¹⁷How thy garments are warm, when he quieteth the earth by the south wind?

¹⁸Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?

¹⁹Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.

²⁰Shall it be told him that I speak? if a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up.

²¹And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them.

²²Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.

²³Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.

²⁴Men do therefore fear him: he respecteth not any that are wise of heart.

¹Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

²Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

³Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

⁴Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

⁵Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

⁶Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

⁷When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁸Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

⁹When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

¹⁰And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,

¹¹And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

¹²Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

¹³That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

¹⁴It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.

¹⁵And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.

¹⁶Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

¹⁷Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

¹⁸Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.

¹⁹Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,

²⁰That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

²¹Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?

²²Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

²³Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

²⁴By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

²⁵Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;

²⁶To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

²⁷To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

²⁸Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

²⁹Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

³⁰The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

³¹Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?

³²Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

³³Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

³⁴Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

³⁵Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?

³⁶Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?

³⁷Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,

³⁸When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

³⁹Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,

⁴⁰When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?

⁴¹Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.

¹For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:

²For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.

³Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:

⁴Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

⁵Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.

⁶But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

⁷Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

⁸And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

⁹(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

¹⁰Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

¹¹Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

¹²For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;

¹³Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

¹⁴And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

¹⁵Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.