Job 37

¹“At this my heart pounds

and leaps from its place.

²Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice,

to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.

³He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven

and sends it to the ends of the earth.

⁴After that comes the sound of his roar;

he thunders with his majestic voice.

When his voice resounds,

he holds nothing back.

⁵God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;

he does great things beyond our understanding.

⁶He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’

and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’

⁷So that everyone he has made may know his work,

he stops all people from their labor.

⁸The animals take cover;

they remain in their dens.

⁹The tempest comes out from its chamber,

the cold from the driving winds.

¹⁰The breath of God produces ice,

and the broad waters become frozen.

¹¹He loads the clouds with moisture;

he scatters his lightning through them.

¹²At his direction they swirl around

over the face of the whole earth

to do whatever he commands them.

¹³He brings the clouds to punish people,

or to water his earth and show his love.

¹⁴“Listen to this, Job;

stop and consider God’s wonders.

¹⁵Do you know how God controls the clouds

and makes his lightning flash?

¹⁶Do you know how the clouds hang poised,

those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?

¹⁷You who swelter in your clothes

when the land lies hushed under the south wind,

¹⁸can you join him in spreading out the skies,

hard as a mirror of cast bronze?

¹⁹“Tell us what we should say to him;

we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness.

²⁰Should he be told that I want to speak?

Would anyone ask to be swallowed up?

²¹Now no one can look at the sun,

bright as it is in the skies

after the wind has swept them clean.

²²Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;

God comes in awesome majesty.

²³The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;

in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.

²⁴Therefore, people revere him,

for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?”