36:1   Elihu said:

36:2   Be patient a while longer; I have something else to say in God's defense.

36:3   God always does right-- and this knowledge comes straight from God.

36:4   You can rest assured that what I say is true.

36:5   Although God is mighty, he cares about everyone and makes fair decisions.

36:6   The wicked are cut down, and those who are wronged receive justice.

36:7   God watches over good people and places them in positions of power and honor forever.

36:8   But when people are prisoners of suffering and pain,

36:9   God points out their sin and their pride,

36:10   then he warns them to turn back to him.

36:11   And if they obey, they will be successful and happy from then on.

36:12   But if they foolishly refuse, they will be rewarded with a violent death.

36:13   Godless people are too angry to ask God for help when he punishes them.

36:14   So they die young in shameful disgrace.

36:15   Hard times and trouble are God's way of getting our attention!

36:16   And at this very moment, God deeply desires to lead you from trouble and to spread your table with your favorite food.

36:17   Now that the judgment for your sins has fallen upon you,

36:18   don't let your anger and the pain you endured make you sneer at God.

36:19   Your reputation and riches cannot protect you from distress,

36:20   nor can you find safety in the dark world below.

36:21   Be on guard! Don't turn to evil as a way of escape.

36:22   God's power is unlimited. He needs no teachers

36:23   to guide or correct him.

36:24   Others have praised God for what he has done, so join with them.

36:25   From down here on earth, everyone has looked up and seen

36:26   how great God is-- God is more than we imagine; no one can count the years he has lived.

36:27   God gathers moisture into the clouds

36:28   and supplies us with rain.

36:29   Who can understand how God scatters the clouds and speaks from his home in the thunderstorm?

36:30   And when God sends lightning, it can be seen at the bottom of the sea.

36:31   By producing such rainstorms, God rules the world and provides us with food.

36:32   Each flash of lightning is one of his arrows striking its target,

36:33   and the thunder tells of his anger against sin.