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 Indeed, he draws up the drops of water;
he distills the rain into its mist,
28 which the clouds pour down;
they shower abundantly on human beings.
29 “Moreover, can anyone understand[a] the spreading of clouds,
the thundering of his dwelling place?
30 Look, he scatters his lightning around him,
and he covers the roots of the sea.
31 Indeed, he judges people by them;
he gives food in abundance.[b]
32 He covers his hands with lightning,
and he commands it the place at which to strike.
33 His thundering tells about him;
the livestock also tell concerning what rises.[c]

Elihu Extols God’s Majesty

37 “About this also my heart trembles,
and it leaps from its place.
Listen carefully to his voice’s thunder
and the rumbling that goes out from his mouth.
He lets it loose under all the heavens,
and his lightning to the earth’s corners.
After it, his voice roars;
it thunders with his majestic voice,[d]
and he does not restrain it when his voice is heard.
“God thunders with his voice in marvelous ways;
he does great things, and we cannot comprehend.
For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth’;
and the shower of rain, his heavy shower of rain[e]
he stops all human beings from working[f]
so that everyone whom he has made may know it.[g]
Then[h] the animal goes into its den,
and it remains in its den.
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[i] turn around by his guidance
to accomplish all that he has commanded them
on the face of the habitable world.[j]
13 Whether as correction[k] or for his land,
or as loyal love, he lets it happen.

Footnotes

  1. Job 36:29 Literally “if he can understand”
  2. Job 36:31 Literally “as far as providing in abundance”
  3. Job 36:33 Literally “about going up”
  4. Job 37:4 Literally “with the voice of his majesty”
  5. Job 37:6 Literally “the shower of rain and the show of rains of his strength”
  6. Job 37:7 Literally “on the hand of all man he seals”
  7. Job 37:7 Literally “to know all men of his work”
  8. Job 37:8 Hebrew “And”
  9. Job 37:12 Collective “clouds” in the first line takes the singular “it” here with the plural meaning
  10. Job 37:12 Literally “world of earth”
  11. Job 37:13 Literally “a rod”