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
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 37
1 At this my heart trembles
and leaps out of its place.
2 Listen to his angry voice[a]
and the rumble that comes forth from his mouth!
3 Everywhere under the heavens he sends it,
with his light, to the ends of the earth.
4 Again his voice roars,
his majestic voice thunders;
he does not restrain them when his voice is heard.
5 God thunders forth marvels with his voice;
he does great things beyond our knowing.
6 He says to the snow, “Fall to the earth”;
likewise to his heavy, drenching rain.
7 He shuts up all humankind indoors,
so that all people may know his work.
8 The wild beasts take to cover
and remain quiet in their dens.
9 Out of its chamber the tempest comes forth;
from the north winds, the cold.
10 With his breath God brings the frost,
and the broad waters congeal.(A)
11 The clouds too are laden with moisture,
the storm-cloud scatters its light.
12 [b]He it is who changes their rounds, according to his plans,
to do all that he commands them
across the inhabited world.
13 Whether for punishment or mercy,
he makes it happen.
14 Listen to this, Job!
Stand and consider the marvels of God!
15 Do you know how God lays his command upon them,
and makes the light shine forth from his clouds?
16 Do you know how the clouds are banked,
the marvels of him who is perfect in knowledge?
17 You, who swelter in your clothes
when calm lies over the land from the south,
18 Can you with him spread out the firmament of the skies,
hard as a molten mirror?[c]
19 Teach us then what we shall say to him;
we cannot, for the darkness, make our plea.
20 Will he be told about it when I speak?
Can anyone talk when he is being destroyed?
21 Rather, it is as the light that cannot be seen
while it is obscured by the clouds,
till the wind comes by and sweeps them away.[d]
22 From Zaphon[e] the golden splendor comes,
surrounding God’s awesome majesty!
23 The Almighty! We cannot find him,
preeminent in power and judgment,
abundant in justice, who never oppresses.
24 Therefore people fear him;
none can see him, however wise their hearts.[f]
Footnotes
- 37:2 Voice: the thunder.
- 37:12–13 The translation of these verses is uncertain.
- 37:18 The firmament…mirror: the ancients thought of the sky as a ceiling above which were the “upper waters” (cf. Gn 1:6–7; 7:11); when this ceiling became as hard as metal, the usual rain failed to fall on the earth (cf. Lv 26:19; Dt 28:23).
- 37:21 Elihu argues that even though God seems not to know our circumstances, he does know them, just as surely as the sun shines behind the clouds.
- 37:22 Zaphon: the mythical mountain of the gods; cf. note on 26:7.
- 37:24 The concluding remark of Elihu is ironic in view of the appearance of the Lord in the next chapter and Job’s claim in 42:5.
Job 37
King James Version
37 At this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place.
2 Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.
3 He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth.
4 After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard.
5 God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.
6 For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.
7 He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work.
8 Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.
9 Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north.
10 By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.
11 Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud:
12 And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth.
13 He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.
14 Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.
15 Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?
16 Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?
17 How thy garments are warm, when he quieteth the earth by the south wind?
18 Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?
19 Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.
20 Shall it be told him that I speak? if a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up.
21 And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them.
22 Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.
23 Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.
24 Men do therefore fear him: he respecteth not any that are wise of heart.
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