Job 37
1 Yea, at this, my heart quaketh, and starteth up out of its place.
“My heart pounds [DOU] when [I think about] that.
2 Hear! oh hear! the raging of his voice, A growling sound also, out of his mouth, goeth forth;
Listen, all of you, to the thunder, which is like God’s voice [DOU].
3 Under the whole heavens, he letteth it loose, His lightning also, unto the wings 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, roareth a voice, He thundereth with his voice of majesty, Nor will he hold them back, 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, wonderfully, Doing great things, which we cannot know;
When God speaks, it is awesome, like thunder; he does amazing things which we cannot [fully] understand.
6 For, to the snow, he saith, Fall earthwards, —Also to the downpour of rain, yea the downpour of his mighty rains.
He commands the snow to fall on the ground, and [sometimes] he causes it to rain very hard.
7 On the hand of every man, he setteth a seal, that all men may take note of his doing.
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 So then the wild-beast hath gone into covert, and, in its lairs, doth it remain.
[When it rains, ] animals go into their hiding places, and they remain there [until the rain stops].
9 Out of a chamber cometh a storm-wind, and, out of the north, cold.
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, is given—frost, and, the breadth of waters, is congealed;
[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 Also, with moisture, burdeneth he the thick cloud, He disperseth his lightning-cloud;
God fills the clouds with moisture/hail, and lightning flashes from the clouds.
12 Yea, the same, in circles, turneth itself to and fro, by his steering them to their work, whithersoever he commandeth them, over the face of the world, towards the earth.
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, as a rod, or for his earth, or in lovingkindness, he causeth it to come.
Sometimes God sends rain to punish us, and sometimes he sends rain to show us that he acts kindly toward us.
14 Give thou ear unto this, O Job, Stay, and consider well the wonders of GOD: —
“Job, listen to this; stop and think about the wonderful things that God does.
15 Canst thou got to know of GOD’S giving charge over them, or of the causing of the lightning of his cloud to shine forth?
(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 Canst thou get to know concerning the poisings of the thick cloud, the wonders of one who 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 That thy garments should be hot when he quieteth the earth from the south?
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 Didst thou spread out, with him, the skies, strong as 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 Let us know what we shall say to him, We cannot set in order, 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 declared to him—that I would speak? Were any man to say aught, he might he destroyed?
Should I tell God that I want to speak to him? No, because [if I did that, ] he might destroy me.
21 Yet, now, men see not the light, bright though it is in the skies, when, a wind, hath passed over, and cleansed them.
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 Out of the north, a golden light cometh, Upon GOD, is fearful splendour:
God comes out of the north with a light [that shines like] gold; his glory causes us to be afraid.
23 The Almighty, whom we have not fully found out, is great in vigour, —Neither, justice nor abounding righteousness, will he weaken.
Almighty God is very powerful, and we cannot come near to him. He always acts righteously, and he will never oppress us.
24 Therefore, do men revere him, He will not regard any who are wise in heart.
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.”
