37 “At this my heart pounds^(A)
    and leaps from its place.
² Listen!^(B) Listen to the roar of his voice,^(C)
    to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.^(D)
3 He unleashes his lightning^(E) beneath the whole heaven
    and sends it to the ends of the earth.^(F)
4 After that comes the sound of his roar;
    he thunders^(G) with his majestic voice.^(H)
When his voice resounds,
    he holds nothing back.
⁵ God’s voice thunders^(I) in marvelous ways;^(J)
    he does great things beyond our understanding.^(K)
6 He says to the snow,^(L) ‘Fall on the earth,’
    and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’^(M)
7 So that everyone he has made may know his work,^(N)
    he stops all people from their labor.^[a](O)
8 The animals take cover;^(P)
    they remain in their dens.^(Q)
9 The tempest comes out from its chamber,^(R)
    the cold from the driving winds.^(S)
10 The breath of God produces ice,
    and the broad waters become frozen.^(T)
11 He loads the clouds with moisture;^(U)
    he scatters his lightning^(V) through them.^(W)
12 At his direction they swirl around
    over the face of the whole earth
    to do whatever he commands them.^(X)
13 He brings the clouds to punish people,^(Y)
    or to water his earth and show his love.^(Z)

¹⁴ “Listen^(AA) to this, Job;
    stop and consider God’s wonders.^(AB)
15 Do you know how God controls the clouds
    and makes his lightning^(AC) flash?^(AD)
16 Do you know how the clouds hang poised,^(AE)
    those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?^(AF)
17 You who swelter in your clothes
    when the land lies hushed under the south wind,^(AG)
18 can you join him in spreading out the skies,^(AH)
    hard as a mirror of cast bronze?^(AI)

¹⁹ “Tell us what we should say to him;^(AJ)
    we cannot draw up our case^(AK) because of our darkness.^(AL)
20 Should he be told that I want to speak?
    Would anyone ask to be swallowed up?
²¹ Now no one can look at the sun,^(AM)
    bright as it is in the skies
    after the wind has swept them clean.
²² Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;^(AN)
    God comes in awesome majesty.^(AO)
23 The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;^(AP)
    in his justice^(AQ) and great righteousness, he does not oppress.^(AR)
24 Therefore, people revere him,^(AS)
    for does he not have regard for all the wise^(AT) in heart?^[b]”

² “Who is this that obscures my plans^(C)
    with words without knowledge?^(D)
3 Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.^(E)

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?^(F)
    Tell me, if you understand.^(G)
5 Who marked off its dimensions?^(H) Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line^(I) across it?
⁶ On what were its footings set,^(J)
    or who laid its cornerstone^(K)—
⁷ while the morning stars^(L) sang together^(M)
    and all the angels^[a](N) shouted for joy?^(O)

⁸ “Who shut up the sea behind doors^(P)
    when it burst forth from the womb,^(Q)
9 when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,^(R)
10 when I fixed limits for it^(S)
    and set its doors and bars in place,^(T)
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;^(U)
    here is where your proud waves halt’?^(V)

¹² “Have you ever given orders to the morning,^(W)
    or shown the dawn its place,^(X)
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
    and shake the wicked^(Y) out of it?^(Z)
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;^(AA)
    its features stand out like those of a garment.
¹⁵ The wicked are denied their light,^(AB)
    and their upraised arm is broken.^(AC)

¹⁶ “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?^(AD)
17 Have the gates of death^(AE) been shown to you?
    Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?^(AF)
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?^(AG)
    Tell me, if you know all this.^(AH)

¹⁹ “What is the way to the abode of light?
    And where does darkness reside?^(AI)
20 Can you take them to their places?
    Do you know the paths^(AJ) to their dwellings?
²¹ Surely you know, for you were already born!^(AK)
    You have lived so many years!

²² “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow^(AL)
    or seen the storehouses^(AM) of the hail,^(AN)
23 which I reserve for times of trouble,^(AO)
    for days of war and battle?^(AP)
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,^(AQ)
    or the place where the east winds^(AR) are scattered over the earth?^(AS)
25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
    and a path for the thunderstorm,^(AT)
26 to water^(AU) a land where no one lives,
    an uninhabited desert,^(AV)
27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
    and make it sprout with grass?^(AW)
28 Does the rain have a father?^(AX)
    Who fathers the drops of dew?
²⁹ From whose womb comes the ice?
    Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens^(AY)
30 when the waters become hard as stone,
    when the surface of the deep is frozen?^(AZ)

³¹ “Can you bind the chains^[b] of the Pleiades?
    Can you loosen Orion’s belt?^(BA)
32 Can you bring forth the constellations^(BB) in their seasons^[c]
    or lead out the Bear^[d] with its cubs?^(BC)
33 Do you know the laws^(BD) of the heavens?^(BE)
    Can you set up God’s^[e] dominion over the earth?

³⁴ “Can you raise your voice to the clouds
    and cover yourself with a flood of water?^(BF)
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?^(BG)
    Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
³⁶ Who gives the ibis wisdom^[f](BH)
    or gives the rooster understanding?^[g](BI)
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
    Who can tip over the water jars^(BJ) of the heavens^(BK)
38 when the dust becomes hard^(BL)
    and the clods of earth stick together?^(BM)

³⁹ “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
    and satisfy the hunger of the lions^(BN)
40 when they crouch in their dens^(BO)
    or lie in wait in a thicket?^(BP)
41 Who provides food^(BQ) for the raven^(BR)
    when its young cry out to God
    and wander about for lack of food?^(BS)

To show partiality^(V) in judging is not good:^(W)
24 Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,”^(X)
    will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.
²⁵ But it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
    and rich blessing will come on them.

²⁶ An honest answer
    is like a kiss on the lips.

²⁷ Put your outdoor work in order
    and get your fields ready;
    after that, build your house.

²⁸ Do not testify against your neighbor without cause^(Y)—
    would you use your lips to mislead?
²⁹ Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me;
    I’ll pay them back for what they did.”^(Z)

³⁰ I went past the field of a sluggard,^(AA)
    past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
³¹ thorns had come up everywhere,
    the ground was covered with weeds,
    and the stone wall was in ruins.
³² I applied my heart to what I observed
    and learned a lesson from what I saw:
³³ A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest^(AB)—
³⁴ and poverty will come on you like a thief
    and scarcity like an armed man.^(AC)