Job37

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?”