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
Dette er Biblen på dansk
37 Ja, derover skælver mit Hjerte, bævende skifter det Sted! 2 Lyt dog til hans bragende Røst, til Drønet, der går fra hans Mund! 3 Han slipper det løs under hele Himlen, sit Lys til Jordens Ender; 4 efter det brøler hans Røst, med Højhed brager hans Torden; han sparer ikke på Lyn, imedens hans Stemme høres. 5 Underfuldt lyder Guds Tordenrøst, han øver Vælde, vi fatter det ej. 6 Thi han siger til Sneen: "Fald ned på Jorden!" til Byger og Regnskyl: "Bliv stærke!" For alle Mennesker sætter han Segl, at de dødelige alle må kende hans Gerning. 8 De vilde Dyr søger Ly og holder sig i deres Huler: 9 Fra Kammeret kommer der Storm, fra Nordens Stjerner Kulde. 10 Ved Guds Ånde bliver der Is, Vandfladen lægges i Fængsel. 11 Så fylder han Skyen med Væde, Skylaget spreder hans Lys; 12 det farer hid og did og bugter sig efter hans Tanke og udfører alt, hvad han byder, på hele den vide Jord, 13 hvad enten han slynger det ud som Svøbe, eller han sender det for at velsigne. 14 Job du må lytte hertil, træd frem og mærk dig Guds Underværker! 15 Fatter du, hvorledes Gud kan magte dem og lade Lys stråle frem fra sin Sky? 16 Fatter du Skyernes Svæven, den Alvises Underværker? 17 Du, hvis Klæder ophedes, når Jorden døser ved Søndenvind? 18 Hvælver du Himlen sammen med ham, fast som det støbte Spejl? 19 Lær mig, hvad vi skal sige ham! Intet kan vi få frem for Mørke. 20 Meldes det ham, at jeg taler? Siger en Mand, at han er fra Samling? 21 Og nu: Man ser ej Lyset, skygget af mørke Skyer, men et Vejr farer hen og renser Himlen, 22 fra Norden kommer en Lysning. Over Gud er der frygtelig Højhed, 23 og den Almægtige finder vi ikke. Almægtig og rig på Retfærd bøjer han ikke Retten; 24 derfor frygter Mennesker ham, men af selv kloge ænser han ingen.
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