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
Expanded Bible
37 “At ·the sound of his thunder [L this], my heart ·pounds [trembles]
as if it will ·jump [leap; or drop] out of ·my chest [L its place].
2 Listen! Listen to the ·thunder [L shaking] of God’s voice
and to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3 He turns his lightning loose under the whole ·sky [heavens]
and sends it to the farthest parts of the earth.
4 After that you can hear the roar
when he thunders with a ·great sound [exalted voice].
He does not hold back the flashing
when his voice is heard.
5 God’s voice thunders in wonderful ways;
he does great things we cannot understand.
6 He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’
and to the shower, ‘Be a heavy rain.’
7 With it, he ·stops everyone from working [L puts a seal on the hand of all people]
so everyone knows it is ·the work of God [L his work].
8 The animals ·take cover from the rain [L enter their hiding place/lair]
and stay in their dens.
9 The storm comes from ·where it was stored [L its chamber];
the cold comes with the ·strong winds [or north wind].
10 The breath of God makes ice,
and the wide waters become frozen.
11 He ·fills [loads] the clouds with ·water [moisture]
and scatters his lightning through them.
12 At his ·command [L guidance] they swirl around
over the ·whole [L inhabited] earth,
doing whatever he commands.
13 ·He uses the clouds to punish people [L Whether for correction/the rod]
or ·to water his [L for the] earth and ·show his love [or loyalty].
14 “Job, ·listen [give ear] to this:
Stop and notice God’s ·miracles [wonders].
15 Do you know how God ·controls the clouds [appoints their tasks]
and makes his lightning ·flash [L shine in the clouds]?
16 Do you know how the clouds ·hang [or spread] in the sky?
Do you know the ·miracles [wonders] of God, ·who knows everything [L the one perfect in knowledge]?
17 You ·suffer [L swelter] in your clothes
when the land is silenced by the hot, south wind.
18 You cannot stretch out the sky ·like God [L with him]
and make it look as hard as ·polished bronze [L a cast mirror].
19 ·Tell [L Teach] us what we should say to him;
we cannot get our arguments ·ready [L in order] because ·we do not have enough understanding [L of the darkness].
20 Should God be told ·that I want to [or when I] speak?
Would a person ask to be swallowed up?
21 No one can look at the ·sun [L light]
when it is bright in the sky
after the wind ·has blown all the clouds away [L passes by and clears it].
22 ·God comes out of the north in golden light [L Gold comes from the north],
·in overwhelming greatness [L an awesome splendor is all around God].
23 ·The Almighty [L Shaddai] ·is too high for us to reach [L —we cannot find him].
He ·has great [is exalted in] strength;
he ·is always right and never punishes unfairly [L will not violate justice and abundant righteousness].
24 That is why people ·honor [fear] him;
·he does not respect those who say they are wise [or all the wise of heart fear him].”
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