Job 36:24-37
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty
24 “Remember to extol his work,
of which mortals have sung.(A)
25 All people have looked on it;
everyone watches it from far away.
26 Surely God is great, and we do not know him;
the number of his years is unsearchable.(B)
27 For he draws up the drops of water;
he distills[a] his mist in rain,(C)
28 which the skies pour down
and drop upon mortals abundantly.
29 Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds,
the thunderings of his pavilion?(D)
30 See, he scatters his lightning around him
and covers the roots of the sea.
31 For by these he governs peoples;
he gives food in abundance.(E)
32 He covers his hands with the lightning
and commands it to strike the mark.(F)
33 Its crashing[b] tells about him;
he is jealous[c] with anger against iniquity.(G)
37 “At this also my heart trembles
and leaps out of its place.
2 Listen, listen to the thunder of his voice
and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.(H)
3 Under the whole heaven he lets it loose,
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[d] when his voice is heard.(I)
5 God thunders wondrously with his voice;
he does great things that we cannot comprehend.(J)
6 For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth’;
and the shower of rain, his heavy shower of rain,(K)
7 serves as a sign on everyone’s hand,
so that all whom he has made may know it.[e](L)
8 Then the animals go into their lairs
and remain in their dens.(M)
9 From its chamber comes the whirlwind
and cold from the scattering winds.(N)
10 By the breath of God ice is given,
and the broad waters are frozen fast.(O)
11 He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
the clouds scatter his lightning.(P)
12 They turn round and round by his guidance
to accomplish all that he commands them
on the face of the habitable world.(Q)
13 Whether for correction or for his land
or for love, he causes it to happen.(R)
14 “Hear this, O Job;
stop and consider the wondrous works of God.(S)
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 the one whose knowledge is perfect,(T)
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?(U)
19 Teach us what we shall say to him;
we cannot draw up our case because of darkness.
20 Should he be told that I want to speak?
Did anyone ever wish to be swallowed up?
21 Now, no one can 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;
around God is awesome majesty.
23 The Almighty[f]—we cannot find him;
he is great in power and justice,
and abundant righteousness he will not violate.(V)
24 Therefore mortals fear him;
he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”(W)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.