Job 37
Lexham English Bible
Elihu Extols God’s Majesty
37 “About this also my heart trembles,
and it leaps from its place.
2 Listen carefully to his voice’s thunder
and the rumbling that goes out from his mouth.
3 He lets it loose under all the heavens,
and his lightning to the earth’s corners.
4 After it, his voice roars;
it thunders with his majestic voice,[a]
and he does not restrain it when his voice is heard.
5 “God thunders with his voice in marvelous ways;
he does great things, and we cannot comprehend.
6 For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth’;
and the shower of rain, his heavy shower of rain[b]—
7 he stops all human beings from working[c]
so that everyone whom he has made may know it.[d]
8 Then[e] the animal goes into its den,
and it remains in its den.
9 “The storm wind comes from its chamber
and cold from the north wind.
10 By God’s breath, ice is given,
and the broad waters are frozen.
11 Also, he loads down thick clouds with moisture;
his lightning scatters the clouds.
12 And they[f] turn around by his guidance
to accomplish all that he has commanded them
on the face of the habitable world.[g]
13 Whether as correction[h] or for his land,
or as loyal love, he lets it happen.
14 “Hear this, Job;
stand still and consider carefully God’s wondrous works.
15 Do you know how God commands them[i]
and how he causes his cloud’s lightning to shine?
16 Do you know about the hovering of the clouds,
the marvelous works of the one with perfect knowledge?[j]
17 You whose garments are hot,
when the earth is being still because of the south wind,
18 with him can you spread out the skies,
hard as a molten mirror?
19 “Teach us what we should say to him;
we cannot draw up our case because of the presence of darkness.
20 Should he be told that I want to speak?
Or did a man say that he would be communicated with?
21 So then, they do not look at the light when it is bright in the skies,
when[k] the wind has passed and has cleansed them.
22 From the north comes gold—
awesome majesty is around God.
23 As for Shaddai, we cannot attain him;
he is exalted in power,
and he does not oppress justice and abundant righteousness.
24 Therefore people revered him;
he does not regard any[l] who think that they are wise.”[m]
Footnotes
- Job 37:4 Literally “with the voice of his majesty”
- Job 37:6 Literally “the shower of rain and the show of rains of his strength”
- Job 37:7 Literally “on the hand of all man he seals”
- Job 37:7 Literally “to know all men of his work”
- Job 37:8 Hebrew “And”
- Job 37:12 Collective “clouds” in the first line takes the singular “it” here with the plural meaning
- Job 37:12 Literally “world of earth”
- Job 37:13 Literally “a rod”
- Job 37:15 Literally “at the putting of God upon them”
- Job 37:16 Literally “the marvelous works of perfect knowledge”
- Job 37:21 Hebrew “and”
- Job 37:24 Or “all”
- Job 37:24 Literally “the wise of heart”
Job 37
International Standard Version
Elihu Concludes His Argument
37 “Now I’ll conclude with this:
my heart is trembling violently;
it feels like it’s about to leap from my body!
2 Listen carefully to his thundering voice;
to the sound that rumbles from his mouth.
3 He releases his lightning throughout the sky,
to the ends[a] of the earth.
4 His thunder roars after it;
his majestic voice will thunder;
and no one can trace them[b]
once his voice has been heard.
5 “God thunders with his wondrous voice;
he does awesome works that we don’t comprehend.
6 For he says to the snow, ‘Fall to the earth.’
He tells the rain, ‘Pour down,’
then it rains profusely.
7 “He puts a limit to the skill[c] of every person;
to delineate all people from what they do.
8 “Then a beast enters its lair
and remains in its den.
9 “From the south,[d] a whirlwind proceeds,
out of the icy north winds.
10 From the breath of God ice is produced,
and a wide body of water is frozen.
11 He also loads the clouds with moisture,
scattering his lightning with the clouds.
12 It whirls about in circles at his direction
to accomplish all that he commands
throughout the surface of the entire world,
13 whether for discipline on his land
or to demonstrate his gracious love,
he causes it to be realized.”
Elihu Challenges Job to Pay Attention
14 “Pay attention to this, Job!
Stand still,
and consider the wondrous attributes of God.
15 Do you know how God ordains them,
and makes his lightning to flash throughout his clouds?
16 Do you understand his wondrous work of balancing the clouds,
the one[e] whose knowledge is perfect,
17 you whose garments are hot,
even though the land is cooled by a south wind?
18 Can you spread out the skies like he does;
can you cast them as one might a mirror?
19 Tell us! What are we to say to him?
Can we prepare our case to face him
when our faces are in darkness?
20 Has it been relayed to God[f] that I want to talk?
Can a person[g] speak when he is confused?”
God is Revered
21 “So then, the sun[h] is too bright to gaze at, is it not?
The sky is swept clean by the wind that blows,[i] is it not?
22 From the north he brings gold;
around God is awesome splendor.
23 We cannot find the Almighty—
he is majestic in power and justice,
and overflowing with righteousness;
he never oppresses.
24 Therefore humanity fears him,
which none of the wise[j] can quite comprehend.”
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