And Elihu continued, and said:

    “Bear with me a little, and I will show you,
        for I have yet something to say on God’s behalf.
    I will get my knowledge from afar
        and ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
    For truly my words are not false;
        one who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
    
    
    “Behold, God is mighty, and does not despise any;
        he is mighty in strength of understanding.
    He does not keep the wicked alive,
        but gives the afflicted their right.
    He does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous,
        but with kings on the throne
        he sets them forever, and they are exalted.
    And if they are bound in chains
        and caught in the cords of affliction,
    then he declares to them their work
        and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly.
    He opens their ears to instruction
        and commands that they return from iniquity.
    If they listen and serve him,
        they complete their days in prosperity,
        and their years in pleasantness.
    But if they do not listen, they perish by the sword
        and die without knowledge.
    
    
    “The godless in heart cherish anger;
        they do not cry for help when he binds them.
    They die in youth,
        and their life ends among the cult prostitutes.
    He delivers the afflicted by their affliction
        and opens their ear by adversity.
    He also allured you out of distress
        into a broad place where there was no cramping,
        and what was set on your table was full of fatness.
    
    
    “But you are full of the judgment on the wicked;
        judgment and justice seize you.
    Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing,
        and let not the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.
    Will your cry for help avail to keep you from distress,
        or all the force of your strength?
    Do not long for the night,
        when peoples vanish in their place.
    Take care; do not turn to iniquity,
        for this you have chosen rather than affliction.
    Behold, God is exalted in his power;
        who is a teacher like him?
    Who has prescribed for him his way,
        or who can say, ‘You have done wrong’?
    
    
    “Remember to extol his work,
        of which men have sung.
    All mankind has looked on it;
        man beholds it from afar.
    Behold, God is great, and we know him not;
        the number of his years is unsearchable.
    For he draws up the drops of water;
        they distill his mist in rain,
    which the skies pour down
        and drop on mankind abundantly.
    Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds,
        the thunderings of his pavilion?
    Behold, he scatters his lightning about him
        and covers the roots of the sea.
    For by these he judges peoples;
        he gives food in abundance.
    He covers his hands with the lightning
        and commands it to strike the mark.
    Its crashing declares his presence;
        the cattle also declare that he rises.
    
    
        “At this also my heart trembles
        and leaps out of its place.
    Keep listening to the thunder of his voice
        and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
    Under the whole heaven he lets it go,
        and his lightning to the corners of the earth.
    After it his voice roars;
        he thunders with his majestic voice,
        and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.
    God thunders wondrously with his voice;
        he does great things that we cannot comprehend.
    For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
        likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour.
    He seals up the hand of every man,
        that all men whom he made may know it.
    Then the beasts go into their lairs,
        and remain in their dens.
    From its chamber comes the whirlwind,
        and cold from the scattering winds.
    By the breath of God ice is given,
        and the broad waters are frozen fast.
    He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
        the clouds scatter his lightning.
    They turn around and around by his guidance,
        to accomplish all that he commands them
        on the face of the habitable world.
    Whether for correction or for his land
        or for love, he causes it to happen.
    
    
    “Hear this, O Job;
        stop and consider the wondrous works of God.
    Do you know how God lays his command upon them
        and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
    Do you know the balancings of the clouds,
        the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge,
    you whose garments are hot
        when the earth is still because of the south wind?
    Can you, like him, spread out the skies,
        hard as a cast metal mirror?
    Teach us what we shall say to him;
        we cannot draw up our case because of darkness.
    Shall it be told him that I would speak?
        Did a man ever wish that he would be swallowed up?
    
    
    “And now no one looks on the light
        when it is bright in the skies,
        when the wind has passed and cleared them.
    Out of the north comes golden splendor;
        God is clothed with awesome majesty.
    The Almighty—we cannot find him;
        he is great in power;
        justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate.
    Therefore men fear him;
        he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.” (ESV)

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

    “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
        make his paths straight.’”
    
    
      Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

  “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

  Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (ESV)