Elihu Says God has Authority over the Storm
37 “Indeed, at His thundering my heart trembles
And leaps out of its place.
2
“Listen carefully to the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out of His mouth!
3
“He lets it loose under the whole heaven,
And His lightning to the ends of the earth.
4
“After it, His voice roars;
He thunders with the voice of His majesty,
And He does not restrain His lightning [against His adversaries] when His voice is heard.
5
“God thunders marvelously with His voice;
He does great things which we cannot comprehend.
6
“For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;
And [He speaks] to the showers and to the downpour [of His mighty rains], ‘Be strong.’
7
“God seals (brings to a standstill, stops) [by severe weather] the hand of every man,
That all men [whom He has made] may know His work [that is, His sovereign power and their subjection to it].
8
“Then the beast goes into its lair
And remains in its hiding place.
9
“Out of its chamber comes the storm,
And cold from the north wind.
10
“Ice is made by the breath of God,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.(A)
11
“He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
He disperses the cloud of His lightning.
12
“Its direction is turned around by His guidance,
That it may do whatever He commands it
On the face of the inhabited earth.
13
“Whether [it be] for correction, or for His earth [generally]
Or for [His] mercy and lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.(B)
14
“Listen to this, Job;
Stand still and consider the wonders of God.
15
“Do you know how God establishes and commands them,
And makes the lightning of His [storm] cloud shine?
16
“Do you know about the layers of thick clouds [and how they are balanced and poised in the heavens],
The wonderful works of Him who is perfect in knowledge,
17
You whose garments are hot,
When He quiets the earth [in sultry summer] with the [oppressive] south wind?
18
“Can you, with Him, spread out the sky,
Strong as a molten mirror?
19
“Tell us [Job] what words [of man] shall we say to such a Being;
We cannot state our case because of darkness [that is, our ignorance in the presence of the unsearchable God].
20
“So shall it be told Him that I wish to speak?
Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up [and destroyed by God]?
21
“Now people cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies [without being blinded],
When the wind has passed and cleared them.
22
“Out of the north comes golden splendor [and people can hardly look on it];
Around God is awesome splendor and majesty [far too glorious for man’s eyes].
23
“The Almighty—we cannot find Him;
He is exalted in power
And He will not do violence to [nor disregard] justice and abundant righteousness.(C)
24
“Men therefore fear Him;
He does not regard nor respect any who are wise in heart [in their own understanding and conceit].”(D)