27 For (A)He draws up the drops of water;
They distill rain from its [a]celestial stream,
28 Which clouds pour down;
They drip upon mankind abundantly.
29 Can anyone understand the (B)spreading of the clouds,
The (C)thundering of His [b]pavilion?
30 Behold, He spreads His [c]lightning about Him,
And He covers the depths of the sea.
31 For by them He (D)judges peoples;
He (E)gives food in abundance.
32 He covers His hands with the [d]lightning,
And (F)commands it to strike the target.
33 Its (G)thundering voice declares [e]His presence;
The livestock also, concerning what is coming up.

Elihu Says God Has Authority Over the Storm

37 “At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
Listen closely to the (H)thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His [f]lightning travels to the (I)ends of the earth.
After it, a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain [g]the lightning when His voice is heard.
God (J)thunders wondrously with His voice,
Doing (K)great things which we do not comprehend.
For to (L)the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the [h](M)downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’
He (N)seals the hand of every person,
So that (O)all people may know His work.
Then the animal goes into its (P)lair
And remains in its [i]den.
From the [j](Q)south comes the storm,
And from the north wind the cold.
10 From the breath of God (R)ice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
11 He also (S)loads the clouds with moisture;
He (T)disperses (U)the cloud of His [k]lightning.
12 It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That [l]it may do whatever He (V)commands [m]it
On the (W)face of the inhabited earth.
13 Whether for [n](X)correction, or for (Y)His earth,
Or for (Z)goodness, He causes it to [o]happen.

Footnotes

  1. Job 36:27 Or mist
  2. Job 36:29 Lit booth
  3. Job 36:30 Lit light
  4. Job 36:32 Lit light
  5. Job 36:33 Lit concerning Him
  6. Job 37:3 Lit light
  7. Job 37:4 Lit them
  8. Job 37:6 Lit shower of rain and shower of rains
  9. Job 37:8 Lit dens
  10. Job 37:9 Lit chamber
  11. Job 37:11 Lit light
  12. Job 37:12 Lit they
  13. Job 37:12 Lit them
  14. Job 37:13 Lit the rod
  15. Job 37:13 Lit be found

27 For He makes waterdrops evaporate;[a]
they distill the rain into its[b] mist,(A)
28 which the clouds pour out
and shower abundantly on mankind.
29 Can anyone understand how the clouds spread out
or how the thunder roars from God’s pavilion?(B)
30 See how He spreads His lightning(C) around Him
and covers the depths of the sea.
31 For He judges the nations with these;
He gives food in abundance.(D)
32 He covers His hands with lightning
and commands it to hit its mark.
33 The[c] thunder declares His presence;[d]
the cattle also, the approaching storm.

37 My heart(E) pounds at this
and leaps from my chest.[e]
Just listen to His thunderous voice
and the rumbling that comes from His mouth.
He lets it loose beneath the entire sky;
His lightning to the ends(F) of the earth.

Then there comes a roaring sound;
God thunders(G) with His majestic voice.
He does not restrain the lightning
when His rumbling voice is heard.
God thunders marvelously with His voice;
He does great things that we cannot comprehend.
For He says to the snow,(H) “Fall to the earth,”
and the torrential rains, His mighty torrential rains,
serve as His sign to all mankind,
so that all men may know His work.
The wild animals enter their lairs
and stay in their dens.(I)
The windstorm comes from its chamber,
and the cold from the driving north winds.
10 Ice is formed by the breath of God,(J)
and watery expanses are frozen.
11 He saturates clouds with moisture;(K)
He scatters His lightning through them.
12 They swirl about,
turning round and round at His direction,
accomplishing everything He commands them
over the surface of the inhabited world.
13 He causes this to happen for punishment,
for His land, or for His faithful love.

Footnotes

  1. Job 36:27 Lit He draws in waterdrops
  2. Job 36:27 Or His
  3. Job 36:33 Lit His, or Its
  4. Job 36:33 Lit thunder announces concerning Him or it
  5. Job 37:1 Lit from its place

27 “He draws up the drops of water,(A)
    which distill as rain to the streams[a];(B)
28 the clouds pour down their moisture
    and abundant showers(C) fall on mankind.(D)
29 Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,
    how he thunders(E) from his pavilion?(F)
30 See how he scatters his lightning(G) about him,
    bathing the depths of the sea.(H)
31 This is the way he governs[b] the nations(I)
    and provides food(J) in abundance.(K)
32 He fills his hands with lightning
    and commands it to strike its mark.(L)
33 His thunder announces the coming storm;(M)
    even the cattle make known its approach.[c](N)

37 “At this my heart pounds(O)
    and leaps from its place.
Listen!(P) Listen to the roar of his voice,(Q)
    to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.(R)
He unleashes his lightning(S) beneath the whole heaven
    and sends it to the ends of the earth.(T)
After that comes the sound of his roar;
    he thunders(U) with his majestic voice.(V)
When his voice resounds,
    he holds nothing back.
God’s voice thunders(W) in marvelous ways;(X)
    he does great things beyond our understanding.(Y)
He says to the snow,(Z) ‘Fall on the earth,’
    and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’(AA)
So that everyone he has made may know his work,(AB)
    he stops all people from their labor.[d](AC)
The animals take cover;(AD)
    they remain in their dens.(AE)
The tempest comes out from its chamber,(AF)
    the cold from the driving winds.(AG)
10 The breath of God produces ice,
    and the broad waters become frozen.(AH)
11 He loads the clouds with moisture;(AI)
    he scatters his lightning(AJ) through them.(AK)
12 At his direction they swirl around
    over the face of the whole earth
    to do whatever he commands them.(AL)
13 He brings the clouds to punish people,(AM)
    or to water his earth and show his love.(AN)

Footnotes

  1. Job 36:27 Or distill from the mist as rain
  2. Job 36:31 Or nourishes
  3. Job 36:33 Or announces his coming— / the One zealous against evil
  4. Job 37:7 Or work, / he fills all people with fear by his power