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Elihu Concludes His Argument

37 “Now I’ll conclude with this:
    my heart is trembling violently;
        it feels like it’s about to leap from my body!
Listen carefully to his thundering voice;
    to the sound that rumbles from his mouth.
He releases his lightning throughout the sky,
    to the ends[a] of the earth.
His thunder roars after it;
    his majestic voice will thunder;
and no one can trace them[b]
    once his voice has been heard.

“God thunders with his wondrous voice;
    he does awesome works that we don’t comprehend.
For he says to the snow, ‘Fall to the earth.’
    He tells the rain, ‘Pour down,’
        then it rains profusely.

“He puts a limit to the skill[c] of every person;
    to delineate all people from what they do.

“Then a beast enters its lair
    and remains in its den.

“From the south,[d] a whirlwind proceeds,
    out of the icy north winds.
10 From the breath of God ice is produced,
    and a wide body of water is frozen.
11 He also loads the clouds with moisture,
    scattering his lightning with the clouds.
12 It whirls about in circles at his direction
    to accomplish all that he commands
        throughout the surface of the entire world,
13 whether for discipline on his land
    or to demonstrate his gracious love,
        he causes it to be realized.”

Elihu Challenges Job to Pay Attention

14 “Pay attention to this, Job!
    Stand still,
        and consider the wondrous attributes of God.
15 Do you know how God ordains them,
    and makes his lightning to flash throughout his clouds?
16 Do you understand his wondrous work of balancing the clouds,
    the one[e] whose knowledge is perfect,
17 you whose garments are hot,
    even though the land is cooled by a south wind?
18 Can you spread out the skies like he does;
    can you cast them as one might a mirror?

19 Tell us! What are we to say to him?
    Can we prepare our case to face him
        when our faces are in darkness?
20 Has it been relayed to God[f] that I want to talk?
    Can a person[g] speak when he is confused?”

God is Revered

21 “So then, the sun[h] is too bright to gaze at, is it not?
    The sky is swept clean by the wind that blows,[i] is it not?
22 From the north he brings gold;
    around God is awesome splendor.
23 We cannot find the Almighty—
    he is majestic in power and justice,
and overflowing with righteousness;
    he never oppresses.
24 Therefore humanity fears him,
    which none of the wise[j] can quite comprehend.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 37:3 Lit. wingtips
  2. Job 37:4 Lit. follow at the heel of their feet
  3. Job 37:7 Lit. a seal on the hand
  4. Job 37:9 Or From a storeroom
  5. Job 37:16 The Heb. lacks the one
  6. Job 37:20 Lit. him
  7. Job 37:20 Lit. man
  8. Job 37:21 Or light
  9. Job 37:21 Lit. that passes through
  10. Job 37:24 Lit. wise of heart