Job 37:1–38:41
Elihu Says God Is Back of the Storm
1 “At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
2 “Listen closely to the athunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
3 “Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His 1lightning to the aends of the earth.
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain 1the lightnings when His voice is heard.
5 “God athunders with His voice wondrously,
Doing bgreat things which we cannot comprehend.
6 “For to athe snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the 1bdownpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’
7 “He aseals the hand of every man,
That ball men may know His work.
8 “Then the beast goes into its alair
And remains in its 1den.
9 “Out of the 1asouth comes the storm,
And out of the 2north the cold.
10 “From the breath of God aice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
11 “Also with moisture He aloads the thick cloud;
He bdisperses cthe cloud of His 1lightning.
12 “It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That 1it may do whatever He acommands 2it
On the bface of the inhabited earth.
13 “Whether for 1acorrection, or for bHis world,
Or for clovingkindness, He causes it to 2happen.
Stand and consider the wonders of God.
15 “Do you know how God establishes them,
And makes the 1lightning of His cloud to shine?
16 “Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds,
The awonders of one bperfect in knowledge,
17 You whose garments are hot,
When the land is still because of the south wind?
18 “Can you, with Him, aspread out the skies,
Strong as a molten mirror?
19 “Teach us what we shall say to Him;
We acannot arrange our case because of darkness.
20 “Shall it be told Him that I would speak?
1Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?
21 “Now 1men do not see the light which is bright in the skies;
But the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 “Out of the north comes golden splendor;
Around God is awesome majesty.
23 “The Almighty—awe cannot find Him;
He is bexalted in power
And cHe will not do violence dto justice and abundant righteousness.
24 “Therefore men afear Him;
He does not bregard any who are wise of heart.”
1 Then the Lord aanswered Job out of the whirlwind and said,
2 “Who is this that adarkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
3 “Now agird up your loins like a man,
And bI will ask you, and you instruct Me!
4 “Where were you awhen I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you 1have understanding,
5 Who set its ameasurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the line on it?
6 “On what awere its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together
And all the asons of God shouted for joy?
8 “Or who aenclosed the sea with doors
When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb;
9 When I made a cloud its garment
And thick darkness its swaddling band,
10 And I 1aplaced boundaries on it
And set a bolt and doors,
11 And I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther;
And here shall your proud waves stop’?
12 “Have you 1ever in your life commanded the morning,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13 That it might take hold of athe ends of the earth,
And bthe wicked be shaken out of it?
14 “It is changed like clay under the seal;
And they stand forth like a garment.
15 “aFrom the wicked their light is withheld,
And the buplifted arm is broken.
16 “Have you entered into athe springs of the sea
Or walked 1in the recesses of the deep?
17 “Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
Or have you seen the gates of adeep darkness?
18 “Have you understood the 1expanse of athe earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.
19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
20 That you may take it to aits territory
And that you may discern the paths to its 1home?
21 “You know, for ayou were born then,
And the number of your days is great!
22 “Have you entered the storehouses aof the snow,
Or have you seen the storehouses of the bhail,
23 Which I have reserved for the time of distress,
For the day of war and battle?
24 “Where is the way that athe light is divided,
Or the east wind scattered on the earth?
25 “Who has cleft a channel for the flood,
Or a way for the thunderbolt,
26 To bring arain on a land without 1people,
On a desert without a man in it,
27 To asatisfy the waste and desolate land
And to make the 1seeds of grass to sprout?
28 “Has athe rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 “From whose womb has come the aice?
And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?
30 “Water 1becomes hard like stone,
And the surface of the deep is imprisoned.
31 “Can you bind the chains of the aPleiades,
Or loose the cords of Orion?
32 “Can you lead forth a 1constellation in its season,
And guide the Bear with her 2satellites?
33 “Do you know the aordinances of the heavens,
Or fix their rule over the earth?
34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
So that an aabundance of water will cover you?
35 “Can you asend forth lightnings that they may go
And say to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 “Who has aput wisdom in the innermost being
Or given bunderstanding to the 1mind?
37 “Who can count the clouds by wisdom,
Or atip the water jars of the heavens,
38 When the dust hardens into a mass
And the clods stick together?
39 “Can you hunt the aprey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they acrouch in their dens
And lie in wait in their lair?
41 “Who prepares for athe raven its nourishment
When its young cry to God
And wander about without food?