Job Chapter 37

         37:1“My heart pounds when I think about this;

                  it feels like it’s out of place.

            2 Listen closely to his thundering,

                  the rumbling that comes from his mouth.

            3 He unleashes his lightning under the whole sky;

                  it travels to the horizon in every direction.

            4 After it his roars;

                  he thunders with his majestic voice

                  and doesn’t hold anything back.

            5 God thunders wondrously

                  and does extraordinary things we can’t comprehend.

            6 He tells the snow to fall on the ground

                  and the rain to be heavy.

            7 He stops everyone’s labor

                  so they can watch his work.                                 

Job 37:1-7

            8 Animals head for their dens

                  and stay in their lairs.

            9 The stormy wind comes from its rooms,

                  and the driving winds bring the cold.

            10 God’s breath makes ice,

                  and the wide expanse of water freezes.

            11 He loads up dark clouds with moisture;

                  they disperse his lightning flashes.

            12 They change direction by his guidance;

                  they do whatever he commands across the world.

            13 He makes these things happen either to punish his people

                  or to water the earth and show his love.             

Job 37:8-13

            14 “Listen, Job,

                  stop and think about God’s wondrous works.

            15 Do you know how he controls the clouds

                  or makes lightning flash in them?

            16 Can you explain the layers of dark clouds,

                        the wonders of One that knows everything,

                  17 you whose clothes are hot

                        because the south wind isn’t blowing?

            18 Can you spread out the sky like he does,

                  as hard as a bronze mirror?

            19 Teach us what to say to him;

                  we can’t draw up our case without your help!

            20 Should somebody let him know I want to speak?

Does anyone ever want to be destroyed?

            21 “We can’t look at the bright light in the sky

                  after the wind has cleared it.

            22 Golden splendor comes from the north;

                  awesome majesty surrounds God.

            23 We can’t imagine how extremely powerful the Almighty is;

                  yet he doesn’t violate justice and abundant goodness.

            24 So people everywhere revere him

                  because he doesn’t value people that are wise in their own conceit.”

From the CNT translation by Virgil Warren, PhD