Job 37

Revised Standard Version

37 “At this also my heart trembles,
    and leaps out of its place.
² Hearken to the thunder of his voice
    and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
³ Under the whole heaven he lets it go,
    and his lightning to the corners of the earth.
⁴ After it his voice roars;
    he thunders with his majestic voice
    and he does not restrain the lightnings^[a] when his voice is heard.
⁵ God thunders wondrously with his voice;
    he does great things which we cannot comprehend.
⁶ For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth’;
    and to the shower and the rain,^[b] ‘Be strong.’
⁷ He seals up the hand of every man,
    that all men may know his work.^[c]
8 Then the beasts go into their lairs,
    and remain in their dens.
⁹ From its chamber comes the whirlwind,
    and cold from the scattering winds.
¹⁰ By the breath of God ice is given,
    and the broad waters are frozen fast.
¹¹ He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
    the clouds scatter his lightning.
¹² They turn round and round by his guidance,
    to accomplish all that he commands them
    on the face of the habitable world.
¹³ Whether for correction, or for his land,
    or for love, he causes it to happen.

¹⁴ “Hear this, O Job;
    stop and consider the wondrous works of God.
¹⁵ Do you know how God lays his command upon them,
    and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
¹⁶ Do you know the balancings of the clouds,
    the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge,
¹⁷ you whose garments are hot
    when the earth is still because of the south wind?
¹⁸ Can you, like him, spread out the skies,
    hard as a molten mirror?
¹⁹ Teach us what we shall say to him;
    we cannot draw up our case because of darkness.
²⁰ Shall it be told him that I would speak?
    Did a man ever wish that he would be swallowed up?

²¹ “And now men cannot look on the light
    when it is bright in the skies,
    when the wind has passed and cleared them.
²² Out of the north comes golden splendor;
    God is clothed with terrible majesty.
²³ The Almighty—we cannot find him;
    he is great in power and justice,
    and abundant righteousness he will not violate.
²⁴ Therefore men fear him;
    he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”