Job 37
GOD’S WORD Translation
Elihu Continues: God’s Ways Are Beyond Human Understanding
37 “My heart pounds because of this
and jumps out of its place.
2 Listen! Listen to the roar of God’s voice,
to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3 He flashes his lightning everywhere under heaven.
His light flashes to the ends of the earth.
4 It is followed by the roar of his voice.
He thunders with his majestic voice.
He doesn’t hold the lightning back when his thunder is heard.
5 God’s voice thunders in miraculous ways.
It does great things that we cannot understand.
6 “He says to the snow, ‘Fall to the ground,’
and to the pouring rain, ‘Rain harder!’
7 He makes it impossible to do anything [a]
so that people will recognize his work.
8 Animals go into their dens
and stay in their lairs.
9 A storm comes out of its chamber.
It is cold because of the strong winds.
10 God’s breath produces ice,
and the seas freeze over.
11 Yes, he loads the thick clouds with moisture
and scatters his lightning from the clouds.
12 He guides the clouds as they churn round and round
over the face of the inhabited earth
to do everything he orders them.
13 Whether for discipline,
or for ⌞the good of⌟ his earth,
or out of mercy,
he makes the storm appear.
14 “Open your ears to this, Job.
Stop and consider God’s miracles.
15 Do you know how God controls them
and makes the lightning flash from his clouds?
16 Do you know how the clouds drift
(these are the miracles of the one who knows everything),
17 you whose clothes are hot and sweaty,
when the earth is calm under a south wind?
18 Can you stretch out the skies with him
and make them as firm as a mirror made of metal?
19 Teach us what we should say to him.
We are unable to prepare ⌞a case⌟ because of darkness.
20 Should he be told that I want to speak?
Can a person speak when he is confused?
21 People can’t look at the sun
when it’s bright among the clouds
or after the wind has blown and cleared those clouds away.
22 A golden light comes from the north.
A terrifying majesty is around God.
23 The Almighty, whom we can’t reach,
is great in power and judgment,
has more than enough righteousness,
and does not oppress.
24 That is why people should fear him.
He does not respect those who think they’re wise.”
Footnotes
- 37:7 Or “He seals up every person’s hand.”
Job 37
EasyEnglish Bible
Elihu continues to speak
37 ‘When I hear the noise of a storm like that,
I shake with fear.
2 Listen carefully to the sound of God's voice,
when he speaks like thunder.
3 He sends lightning across the whole sky.
Its light reaches everywhere on the earth.
4 After the lightning comes the sound of his voice.
He roars like the great sound of thunder.
When he speaks like that,
the storm never stops.
5 When God's voice speaks,
he causes wonderful things to happen.
He does great things that we cannot understand.
6 He tells the snow to fall to the earth.
He tells the rain to pour down
and make the ground wet.
7 He does that to show people what he can do.
He causes everyone to stop their own work.
8 The wild animals have to hide in a safe place.
They have to stay in their homes.
9 The strong wind of a storm comes from the place where it starts.
Cold winds blow strongly from the north.
10 The cold wind is like God's breath.
He causes ice to cover the rivers and the lakes.
11 He fills the clouds with lots of water.
He sends the lightning through the clouds.
12 The clouds move around across the whole earth.
They go wherever God sends them.
He tells them what they must do.
13 He may send a storm as punishment for his land.
Or he may send it to show his love for his people.
14 Listen carefully to what I am telling you, Job.
Stop and think about the wonderful things that God does.
15 Do you know how God commands the storms?
Do you know how he sends the bright lightning from the clouds?
16 Can you explain how the clouds hang in the sky?
God knows everything perfectly
and he does these wonderful things.
17 When the hot wind blows from the south,
nothing moves on the earth.
Your body is too hot in the clothes that you wear.
18 God puts the clouds across the whole sky,
like a metal mirror that shines brightly.
Can you also do that? No!
19 Tell us, Job, what things we should say to God.
We cannot argue with him,
because our minds are in a dark place.
20 Should I tell God that I want to speak to him?
That would be the end of me!
21 Now the wind has blown all the clouds away.
The sun shines brightly in the sky.
It is too bright for us to look at.
22 God comes with his bright glory from the north!
His glory is all around him.
It makes us afraid.
23 Almighty God is so great that we cannot come near to him.
He is very powerful.
But he always does what is right and fair.
He is not cruel to people.
24 So people respect God with fear.
He does not listen to those who think that they are wise.’
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