Job 37

Elihu Continues

I Am Frightened

1 I am frightened

and tremble all over,

2 when I hear the roaring voice

of God in the thunder,

3 and when I see his lightning

flash across the sky.

4 God’s majestic voice

thunders his commands,*37.4 commands: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 4.

5 creating miracles too marvelous

for us to understand.

6 Snow and heavy rainstorms

7 make us stop and think

about God’s power,*37.7 God’s power: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 7.

8 and they force animals

to seek shelter.

9 The windstorms of winter strike,

10 and the breath of God

freezes streams and rivers.

11 Rain clouds filled with lightning

appear at God’s command,

12 traveling across the sky

13 to release their cargo—

sometimes as punishment for sin,

sometimes as kindness.

Consider Carefully

14 Job, consider carefully

the many wonders of God.

15 Can you explain why lightning

flashes at the orders

16 of God who knows all things?

Or how he hangs the clouds

in empty space?

17 You almost melt in the heat

of fierce desert winds

when the sky is like brass.

18 God can hammer out the clouds

in spite of the oppressive heat,

but can you?

19 Tell us what to say to God!

Our minds are in the dark,

and we don’t know how

to argue our case.

20 Should I risk my life

by telling God

that I want to speak?

21 No one can stare at the sun

after a breeze has blown

the clouds from the sky.

22 Yet the glorious splendor

of God All-Powerful

is brighter by far.

23 God cannot be seen—

but his power is great,

and he is always fair.

24 And so we humans fear God,

because he shows no respect

for those who are proud

and think they know so much.