Job 37
1 At this my heart trembleth, And leapeth out of its place.
“My heart pounds [DOU] when [I think about] that.
2 Hear, O hear, the thunder of his voice, And the noise which goeth forth from his mouth!
Listen, all of you, to the thunder, which is like God’s voice [DOU].
3 He directeth it under the whole heaven, And his lightning to the ends of the earth.
He causes thunder to be heard all across the sky, and he causes lighting to flash to the most distant places on the earth.
4 After it the thunder roareth; He thundereth with his voice of majesty, And restraineth it not, when his voice is heard.
After [the lightning flashes], we hear the thunder which is like [MET] God’s majestic voice; he does not restrain the lightning when he speaks.
5 God thundereth with his voice marvellously; Great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.
When God speaks, it is awesome, like thunder; he does amazing things which we cannot [fully] understand.
6 For he saith to the snow, “Be thou on the earth!” To the shower also, even the showers of his might.
He commands the snow to fall on the ground, and [sometimes] he causes it to rain very hard.
7 He sealeth up the hand of every man, That all men whom he hath made may acknowledge him.
And [when God does that, ] it prevents people [SYN] from working, in order that all people may know that he is the one who has done that (OR, what he can do).
8 Then the beasts go into dens, And abide in their caverns.
[When it rains, ] animals go into their hiding places, and they remain there [until the rain stops].
9 Out of the south cometh the whirlwind, And cold out of the north.
The storms/hurricanes come from the place [in the south where they start], and the cold wind comes from the north.
10 By the breath of God ice is formed, And the broad waters become narrow,
[In the (winter/cold season), the cold north wind is like] God’s breath [that] causes [MET] water to freeze; he causes the lakes/streams to become ice.
11 Yea, with moisture he burdeneth the clouds; He spreadeth abroad his lightning-clouds.
God fills the clouds with moisture/hail, and lightning flashes from the clouds.
12 They move about by his direction, To execute all his commands throughout the world;
He guides the clouds and causes them to move back and forth in order that they may accomplish all that he commands them to do, all over the world.
13 Whether he cause them to come for punishment, Or for the land, or for mercy.
Sometimes God sends rain to punish us, and sometimes he sends rain to show us that he acts kindly toward us.
14 Give ear to this, O Job! Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God!
“Job, listen to this; stop and think about the wonderful things that God does.
15 Dost thou know when God gave commandment to them, And caused the lightning of his cloud to flash?
(Do you know how God commands the lightning to flash down from the clouds?/We do not know how God commands the lightning to flash down from the clouds.) [RHQ]
16 Dost thou understand the balancing of the clouds, The wondrous works of Him that is perfect in knowledge?
Only God knows everything perfectly; so (do you know how he causes the clouds to (move/float) (amazingly/wonderfully) across the sky?/you certainly do not know how he causes the clouds to (move/float) (amazingly/wonderfully) across the sky!) [RHQ]
17 How thy garments become warm, When he maketh the earth still by the south wind?
No, you just sweat there in your clothes; [it is very oppressive] when the [hot] wind stops blowing from the south and [all the leaves on the trees] (become still/do not move).
18 Canst thou like him spread out the sky, Which is firm like a molten mirror?
(Can you stretch out the skies like God does and make them as hard as [SIM] a sheet of polished brass?/You certainly cannot stretch out the skies like God does and make them as hard as [SIM] a sheet of polished brass!) [RHQ]
19 Teach us what we shall say to him! For we cannot set in order our words by reason of darkness.
“Job, tell us(exc) what we should say to God; we do not know anything [IDM]. As a result, we do not know what to say to him to defend ourselves.
20 Shall it be told him that I would speak? Shall a man speak, that he may be consumed?
Should I tell God that I want to speak to him? No, because [if I did that, ] he might destroy me.
21 For now men do not look upon the light, When it is bright in the skies, When the wind hath passed over them, and made them clear.
Now, people cannot look [directly] at the sun when it shines brightly in the sky after the wind has blown the clouds away; [so, we certainly cannot look at the brightness of God].
22 From the north cometh gold; But with God is terrible majesty!
God comes out of the north with a light [that shines like] gold; his glory causes us to be afraid.
23 The Almighty, we cannot find him out; Great is he in power and justice, Abundant in righteousness; he doth not oppress.
Almighty God is very powerful, and we cannot come near to him. He always acts righteously, and he will never oppress us.
24 Therefore let men fear him! Upon none of the wise in heart will he look.
That is the reason that we have an awesome respect for him; he does not pay attention to those who proudly, [but wrongly], think that they are wise.”
