Job 37:1-38:19

English Standard Version

Elihu Proclaims God's Majesty

37 “At this also my heart trembles
    and leaps out of its place.
²Keep listening to the thunder of his voice
    and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
³Under the whole heaven he lets it go,
    and his ^(A)lightning to the ^(B)corners of the earth.
⁴After it ^(C)his voice roars;
    ^(D)he thunders with his majestic voice,
    and he does not restrain the lightnings^[a] when his voice is heard.
⁵God thunders wondrously with his voice;
    he does ^(E)great things that we cannot ^(F)comprehend.
⁶For to ^(G)the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
    likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour.
⁷He ^(H)seals up the hand of every man,
    that all men whom he made may ^(I)know it.
⁸Then the beasts go into their ^(J)lairs,
    and remain in their ^(K)dens.
⁹From ^(L)its chamber ^(M)comes the whirlwind,
    and ^(N)cold from the scattering winds.
¹⁰By the breath of God ^(O)ice is given,
    and ^(P)the broad waters are frozen fast.
¹¹He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
    the clouds scatter his lightning.
¹²They ^(Q)turn around and around by his ^(R)guidance,
    ^(S)to accomplish all that he commands them
    on the face of ^(T)the habitable world.
¹³Whether for ^(U)correction or for his ^(V)land
    or for ^(W)love, he causes it to happen.

¹⁴“Hear this, O Job;
    stop and ^(X)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^[b] of the clouds,
    the wondrous works of him who is ^(Y)perfect in knowledge,
¹⁷you whose garments are hot
    when the earth is still because of the south wind?
¹⁸Can you, like him, ^(Z)spread out the skies,
    hard as a cast metal ^(AA)mirror?
¹⁹Teach us what we shall say to him;
    we cannot draw up our case because of ^(AB)darkness.
²⁰Shall 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.
²²Out of the north comes golden splendor;
    God is clothed with ^(AC)awesome majesty.
²³The Almighty—we ^(AD)cannot find him;
    he is ^(AE)great in power;
    ^(AF)justice and abundant righteousness he will not ^(AG)violate.
²⁴Therefore men ^(AH)fear him;
    he does not regard any who are ^(AI)wise in their own conceit.”^[c]

The Lord Answers Job

38 Then the Lord ^(AJ)answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

²“Who is this that ^(AK)darkens counsel by words ^(AL)without knowledge?
³^(AM)Dress for action^[d] like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.

⁴“Where were you when I ^(AN)laid the foundation of the earth?
    Tell me, if you have understanding.
⁵Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
    Or who stretched the line upon it?
⁶On what were its bases sunk,
    or who laid its cornerstone,
⁷when the morning stars ^(AO)sang together
    and all ^(AP)the sons of God ^(AQ)shouted for joy?

⁸“Or who ^(AR)shut in the sea with doors
    when it burst out from the womb,
⁹when I made clouds its garment
    and ^(AS)thick darkness its swaddling band,
¹⁰and prescribed ^(AT)limits for it
    and set bars and doors,
¹¹and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
    and here shall your ^(AU)proud waves be stayed’?

¹²“Have you ^(AV)commanded the morning since your days began,
    and caused the dawn to know its place,
¹³that it might take hold of ^(AW)the skirts of the earth,
    and the wicked be ^(AX)shaken out of it?
¹⁴It is changed like clay under the seal,
    and its features stand out like a garment.
¹⁵From the wicked their ^(AY)light is withheld,
    and ^(AZ)their uplifted arm is broken.

¹⁶“Have you ^(BA)entered into the springs of the sea,
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?
¹⁷Have ^(BB)the gates of death been revealed to you,
    or have you seen the gates of ^(BC)deep darkness?
¹⁸Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
    Declare, if you know all this.