Job 37

Job 37

1“At this also my heart trembles

and leaps out of its place.

2Listen, listen to the thunder of his voice[#Job 36.33]

and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.

3Under the whole heaven he lets it loose,

and his lightning to the corners of the earth.

4After it his voice roars;[#Ps 29.3]

he thunders with his majestic voice,

and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.

5God thunders wondrously with his voice;[#Job 5.9; 36.26]

he does great things that we cannot comprehend.

6For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth’;[#Job 36.27; 38.22]

and the shower of rain, his heavy shower of rain,

7serves as a sign on everyone’s hand,[#Job 12.14]

so that all whom he has made may know it.

8Then the animals go into their lairs[#Ps 104.22]

and remain in their dens.

9From its chamber comes the whirlwind[#Job 9.9; Ps 147.17]

and cold from the scattering winds.

10By the breath of God ice is given,[#Job 38.29; Ps 147.17]

and the broad waters are frozen fast.

11He loads the thick cloud with moisture;[#v 15 ; Job 36.27, 29]

the clouds scatter his lightning.

12They turn round and round by his guidance[#Ps 148.8; Prov 8.31; Isa 14.21; 27.6]

to accomplish all that he commands them

on the face of the habitable world.

13Whether for correction or for his land[#Ex 9.18; 1 Sam 12.18; 1 Kings 18.45; Job 38.26]

or for love, he causes it to happen.

14“Hear this, O Job;[#Ps 111.2]

stop and consider the wondrous works of God.

15Do you know how God lays his command upon them

and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?

16Do you know the balancings of the clouds,[#vv 5, 14, 23; Job 36.4]

the wondrous works of the one whose knowledge is perfect,

17you whose garments are hot

when the earth is still because of the south wind?

18Can you, like him, spread out the skies,[#Job 9.8; Ps 104.2; Isa 44.24]

hard as a molten mirror?

19Teach us what we shall say to him;

we cannot draw up our case because of darkness.

20Should he be told that I want to speak?

Did anyone ever wish to be swallowed up?

21Now, no one can look on the light

when it is bright in the skies,

when the wind has passed and cleared them.

22Out of the north comes golden splendor;

around God is awesome majesty.

23The Almighty—we cannot find him;[#Job 8.3; 9.4; Isa 63.9; 1 Tim 6.16; #37.23 Traditional rendering of Heb Shaddai]

he is great in power and justice,

and abundant righteousness he will not violate.

24Therefore mortals fear him;[#Mt 10.28; 11.25; 1 Cor 1.26]

he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, copyright © 2021 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Published by: National Council of the Churches of Christ