Job 37

Elihu Proclaims God's Majesty

1  "At this also my heart trembles
and leaps out of its place.
2  Keep listening to the thunder of his voice
and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3  Under the whole heaven he lets it go,
and his lightning to the corners of the earth.
4  After it his voice roars;
he thunders with his majestic voice,
and he does not restrain the lightningst when his voice is heard.
5  God thunders wondrously with his voice;
he does great things that we cannot comprehend.
6  For to the snow he says, 'Fall on the earth,'
likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour.
7  He seals up the hand of every man,
that all men whom he made may know it.
8  Then the beasts go into their lairs,
and remain in their dens.
9  From its chamber comes the whirlwind,
and cold from the scattering winds.
10  By the breath of God ice is given,
and the broad waters are frozen fast.
11  He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
the clouds scatter his lightning.
12  They turn around and around by his guidance,
to accomplish all that he commands them
on the face of the habitable world.
13  Whether for correction or for his land
or for love, he causes it to happen.

14  "Hear this, O Job;
stop and consider the wondrous works of God.
15  Do you know how God lays his command upon them
and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
16  Do you know the balancingst of the clouds,
the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge,
17  you whose garments are hot
when the earth is still because of the south wind?
18  Can you, like him, spread out the skies,
hard as a cast metal mirror?
19  Teach us what we shall say to him;
we cannot draw up our case because of darkness.
20  Shall it be told him that I would speak?
Did a man ever wish that he would be swallowed up?

21  "And now no one looks on the light
when it is bright in the skies,
when the wind has passed and cleared them.
22  Out of the north comes golden splendor;
God is clothed with awesome majesty.
23  The Almighty—we cannot find him;
he is great in power;
justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate.
24  Therefore men fear him;
he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit."t

Job 37

1 At this also my heart pounds
and leaps from its place.

2 Listen carefullyt to the thunder of his voice,
to the rumblingt that proceeds from his mouth.

3 Under the whole heaven he lets it go,
even his lightning to the far cornerst of the earth.

4 After that a voice roars;
he thunders with an exalted voice,
and he does not hold back his lightning boltst
when his voice is heard.

5 God thunders with his voice in marvelous ways;t
he does great things beyond our understanding.t

6 For to the snow he says, ‘Fallt to earth,’
and to the torrential rains,t ‘Pour down.’t

7 He causes everyone to stop working,t
so that all peoples may knowt his work.

8 The wild animals go to their lairs,
and in their dens they remain.

9 A tempest blows out from its chamber,
icy cold from the driving winds.t

10 The breath of God produces ice,
and the breadth of the waters freeze solid.

11 He loads the clouds with moisture;t
he scatters his lightning through the clouds.

12 The cloudst go round in circles,
wheeling about according to his plans,
to carry outt all that he commands them
over the face of the whole inhabited world.

13 Whether it is for punishmentt for his land,
or whether it is for mercy,
he causes it to find its mark.t

14 “Pay attention to this, Job!
Stand still and consider the wonders God works.

15 Do you know how God commands them,t
how he makes lightning flash in his storm cloud?t

16 Do you know about the balancingt of the clouds,
that wondrous activity of him who is perfect in knowledge?

17 You, whose garments are hot
when the earth is still because of the south wind,

18 will you, with him, spread outt the clouds,
solid as a mirror of molten metal?

19 Tell us what we shouldt say to him.
We cannot prepare a caset
because of the darkness.

20 Should he be informed that I wantt to speak?
If a man speaks, surely he would be swallowed up!

21 But now, the sunt cannot be looked att –
it is bright in the skies –
after a wind passed and swept the clouds away.t

22 From the north he comes in golden splendor;t
around God is awesome majesty.

23 As for the Almighty,t we cannot attain to him!
He is great in power,
but justicet and abundant righteousness he does not oppress.

24 Therefore people fear him,
for he does not regard all the wise in heart.”s