Elihu Proclaims God's Majesty

1“At this also my heart trembles

and leaps out of its place.

2Keep listening to the thunder of his voice

and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.

3Under the whole heaven he lets it go,

and his lightning to the corners of the earth.

4After it his voice roars;

he thunders with his majestic voice,

and he does not restrain the lightnings37:4 Hebrew them when his voice is heard.

5God thunders wondrously with his voice;

he does great things that we cannot comprehend.

6For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth’,

likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour.

7He seals up the hand of every man,

that all men whom he made may know it.

8Then the beasts go into their lairs,

and remain in their dens.

9From its chamber comes the whirlwind,

and cold from the scattering winds.

10By the breath of God ice is given,

and the broad waters are frozen fast.

11He loads the thick cloud with moisture;

the clouds scatter his lightning.

12They turn round and round by his guidance,

to accomplish all that he commands them

on the face of the habitable world.

13Whether for correction or for his land

or for love, he causes it to happen.

14“Hear this, O Job;

stop and consider the wondrous works of God.

15Do you know how God lays his command upon them

and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?

16Do you know the balancings37:16 Or hoverings of the clouds,

the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge,

17you whose garments are hot

when the earth is still because of the south wind?

18Can you, like him, spread out the skies,

hard as a cast-metal mirror?

19Teach us what we shall say to him;

we cannot draw up our case because of darkness.

20Shall it be told him that I would speak?

Did a man ever wish that he would be swallowed up?

21“And now no one looks on the light

when it is bright in the skies,

when the wind has passed and cleared them.

22Out of the north comes golden splendour;

God is clothed with awesome majesty.

23The Almighty—we cannot find him;

he is great in power;

justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate.

24Therefore men fear him;

he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”37:24 Hebrew in heart