Job 37

1 “My heart pounds [DOU] when [I think about] that.

2 Listen, all of you, to the thunder, which is like God’s voice [DOU].

3 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 [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 When God speaks, it is awesome, like thunder; he does amazing things which we cannot [fully] understand.

6 He commands the snow to fall on the ground, and [sometimes] he causes it to rain very hard.

7 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 [When it rains, ] animals go into their hiding places, and they remain there [until the rain stops].

9 The storms/hurricanes come from the place [in the south where they start], and the cold wind comes from the north.

10 [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 God fills the clouds with moisture/hail, and lightning flashes from the clouds.

12 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 Sometimes God sends rain to punish us, and sometimes he sends rain to show us that he acts kindly toward us.

14 “Job, listen to this; stop and think about the wonderful things that God does.

15 (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 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 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 (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 “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 Should I tell God that I want to speak to him? No, because [if I did that, ] he might destroy me.

21 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 God comes out of the north with a light [that shines like] gold; his glory causes us to be afraid.

23 Almighty God is very powerful, and we cannot come near to him. He always acts righteously, and he will never oppress us.

24 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.”