Jó 37

God thunders with his voice

¹At this my heart pounds \q and leaps out of its place. ²Listen, listen to the thunder of his voice, \q to the rumbling that comes from his mouth. ³He lets it loose under the whole sky \q and sends his lightning to the ends of the earth. ⁴After it comes a roar; \q he thunders with his majestic voice, \q and he does not hold back the lightning when his voice is heard. ⁵God thunders with his voice in wonderful ways; \q he does great things beyond our understanding. ⁶For he says to the snow, “Fall on the earth,” \q and likewise to the shower of rain, \q the downpour of his mighty rains. ⁷He brings the work of every person to a stop, \q so that all the people he has made may know it.^{a 8}The wild animals go into their lairs \q and stay in their dens. ⁹The whirlwind comes out of its chamber, \q and cold comes from the driving winds. ¹⁰By the breath of God ice is formed, \q and the wide waters are frozen fast. ¹¹He loads the thick clouds with moisture; \q the clouds scatter his lightning. ¹²They whirl around at his direction \q to carry out all that he commands them \q over the face of the whole earth. ¹³Whether for correction, or for his land, \q or for faithful love, he makes it happen. ¹⁴Listen to this, Job; \q stop and think about God’s wonders. ¹⁵Do you know how God gives them their orders \q and makes the lightning flash from his cloud? ¹⁶Do you know how the clouds hang balanced, \q the wonders of the one who is perfect in knowledge? ¹⁷You whose clothes grow hot \q when the land lies still under the south wind, ¹⁸can you join him in spreading out the skies, \q hard as a mirror of cast metal? ¹⁹Teach us what we should say to him; \q we cannot prepare our case, because we are in the dark. ²⁰Should he be told that I want to speak? \q Would anyone ask to be swallowed up?^{b 21}Now no one can look at the light \q when it is brilliant in the skies, \q after the wind has passed and swept them clear. ²²Out of the north comes golden splendor; \q God is clothed in awesome majesty.^{c 23}The Almighty is beyond our reach; he is great in power, \q and in his justice and great righteousness \q he does not oppress. ²⁴That is why people fear him; \q he pays no attention to those who think they are wise.^d