Job 35:1–37:24
You say, ‘I am in the right,g not God.’h
3 Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me,a
and what do I gain by not sinning?’i
4 “I would like to reply to you
and to your friends with you.
5 Look up at the heavensj and see;
gaze at the clouds so high above you.k
6 If you sin, how does that affect him?
If your sins are many, what does that do to him?l
7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him,m
or what does he receiven from your hand?o
8 Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself,p
and your righteousness only other people.q
9 “People cry outr under a load of oppression;s
they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful.t
10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,u
who gives songsv in the night,w
11 who teachesx usy more than he teachesb the beasts of the earth
and makes us wiser thanc the birds in the sky?’
12 He does not answerz when people cry out
because of the arrogancea of the wicked.b
13 Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea;
the Almighty pays no attention to it.c
14 How much less, then, will he listen
when you say that you do not see him,d
that your casee is before him
and you must wait for him,f
15 and further, that his anger never punishesg
and he does not take the least notice of wickedness.d h
16 So Job opens his mouth with empty talk;i
without knowledge he multiplies words.”j
2 “Bear with me a little longer and I will show you
that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.
3 I get my knowledge from afar;k
I will ascribe justice to my Maker.l
4 Be assured that my words are not false;m
one who has perfect knowledgen is with you.o
5 “God is mighty,p but despises no one;q
he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.r
6 He does not keep the wicked alives
but gives the afflicted their rights.t
7 He does not take his eyes off the righteous;u
he enthrones them with kingsv
and exalts them forever.w
8 But if people are bound in chains,x
held fast by cords of affliction,y
9 he tells them what they have done—
that they have sinned arrogantly.z
10 He makes them listena to correctionb
and commands them to repent of their evil.c
11 If they obey and serve him,d
they will spend the rest of their days in prosperitye
and their years in contentment.f
they will perish by the sworda g
and die without knowledge.h
13 “The godless in hearti harbor resentment;j
even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.k
14 They die in their youth,l
among male prostitutes of the shrines.m
15 But those who suffern he delivers in their suffering;o
he speaksp to them in their affliction.q
16 “He is wooingr you from the jaws of distress
to a spacious places free from restriction,t
to the comfort of your tableu laden with choice food.v
17 But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked;w
judgment and justice have taken hold of you.x
18 Be careful that no one entices you by riches;
do not let a large bribey turn you aside.z
19 Would your wealtha or even all your mighty efforts
sustain you so you would not be in distress?
20 Do not long for the night,b
to drag people away from their homes.b
21 Beware of turning to evil,c
which you seem to prefer to affliction.d
22 “God is exalted in his power.e
Who is a teacher like him?f
23 Who has prescribed his waysg for him,h
or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’?i
24 Remember to extol his work,j
which people have praised in song.k
25 All humanity has seen it;l
mortals gaze on it from afar.
26 How great is God—beyond our understanding!m
The number of his years is past finding out.n
27 “He draws up the drops of water,o
which distill as rain to the streamsc;p
28 the clouds pour down their moisture
and abundant showersq fall on mankind.r
29 Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,
how he thunderss from his pavilion?t
30 See how he scatters his lightningu about him,
bathing the depths of the sea.v
31 This is the way he governsd the nationsw
and provides foodx in abundance.y
32 He fills his hands with lightning
and commands it to strike its mark.z
33 His thunder announces the coming storm;a
even the cattle make known its approach.e b
37 “At this my heart poundsc
and leaps from its place.
2 Listen!d Listen to the roar of his voice,e
to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.f
3 He unleashes his lightningg beneath the whole heaven
and sends it to the ends of the earth.h
4 After that comes the sound of his roar;
he thundersi with his majestic voice.j
When his voice resounds,
he holds nothing back.
5 God’s voice thundersk in marvelous ways;l
he does great things beyond our understanding.m
6 He says to the snow,n ‘Fall on the earth,’
and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’o
7 So that everyone he has made may know his work,p
he stops all people from their labor.a q
8 The animals take cover;r
they remain in their dens.s
9 The tempest comes out from its chamber,t
the cold from the driving winds.u
10 The breath of God produces ice,
and the broad waters become frozen.v
11 He loads the clouds with moisture;w
he scatters his lightningx through them.y
12 At his direction they swirl around
over the face of the whole earth
to do whatever he commands them.z
13 He brings the clouds to punish people,a
or to water his earth and show his love.b
14 “Listenc to this, Job;
stop and consider God’s wonders.d
15 Do you know how God controls the clouds
and makes his lightninge flash?f
16 Do you know how the clouds hang poised,g
those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?h
17 You who swelter in your clothes
when the land lies hushed under the south wind,i
18 can you join him in spreading out the skies,j
hard as a mirror of cast bronze?k
19 “Tell us what we should say to him;l
we cannot draw up our casem because of our darkness.n
20 Should he be told that I want to speak?
Would anyone ask to be swallowed up?
21 Now no one can look at the sun,o
bright as it is in the skies
after the wind has swept them clean.
22 Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;p
God comes in awesome majesty.q
23 The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;r
in his justices and great righteousness, he does not oppress.t
24 Therefore, people revere him,u