אִיּוֹב 37

1 אַף־לְ֭זֹאת יֶחֱרַ֣ד לִבִּ֑י וְ֝יִתַּ֗ר מִמְּקוֹמֽוֹ׃

At this my heart trembles, beating rapidly within me!

2 שִׁמְע֤וּ שָׁמ֣וֹעַ בְּרֹ֣גֶז קֹל֑וֹ וְ֝הֶ֗גֶה מִפִּ֥יו יֵצֵֽא׃

Listen carefully to God's thunderous voice that rumbles as he speaks.

3 תַּֽחַת־כָּל־הַשָּׁמַ֥יִם יִשְׁרֵ֑הוּ וְ֝אוֹר֗וֹ עַל־כַּנְפ֥וֹת הָאָֽרֶץ׃

He sends it across the heaven; his lightning flashes to the ends of the earth.

4 אַחֲרָ֤יו ׀ יִשְׁאַג־ק֗וֹל יַ֭רְעֵם בְּק֣וֹל גְּאוֹנ֑וֹ וְלֹ֥א יְ֝עַקְּבֵ֗ם כִּֽי־יִשָּׁמַ֥ע קוֹלֽוֹ׃

Then comes the roar of thunder, his majestic voice holding nothing back when he speaks.

5 יַרְעֵ֤ם אֵ֣ל בְּ֭קוֹלוֹ נִפְלָא֑וֹת עֹשֶׂ֥ה גְ֝דֹל֗וֹת וְלֹ֣א נֵדָֽע׃

God's thunderous voice is wonderful! We can't comprehend the great things he does!

6 כִּ֤י לַשֶּׁ֨לַג ׀ יֹאמַ֗ר הֱוֵ֫א אָ֥רֶץ וְגֶ֥שֶׁם מָטָ֑ר וְ֝גֶ֗שֶׁם מִטְר֥וֹת עֻזּֽוֹ׃

He tells the snow to fall and the rain to pour down on the earth.

7 בְּיַד־כָּל־אָדָ֥ם יַחְתּ֑וֹם לָ֝דַ֗עַת כָּל־אַנְשֵׁ֥י מַעֲשֵֽׂהוּ׃

By this he stops people working so that everyone can understand what he does.

8 וַתָּבֹ֣א חַיָּ֣ה בְמוֹ־אָ֑רֶב וּבִמְע֖וֹנֹתֶ֣יהָ תִשְׁכֹּֽן׃

Even the animals take shelter and remain in their dens.

9 מִן־הַ֭חֶדֶר תָּב֣וֹא סוּפָ֑ה וּֽמִמְּזָרִ֥ים קָרָֽה׃

The south wind blows in storms, while the north wind blows in cold weather.

10 מִנִּשְׁמַת־אֵ֥ל יִתֶּן־קָ֑רַח וְרֹ֖חַב מַ֣יִם בְּמוּצָֽק׃

God's breath produces ice, freezing the surface of water solid.

11 אַף־בְּ֭רִי יַטְרִ֣יחַ עָ֑ב יָ֝פִ֗יץ עֲנַ֣ן אוֹרֽוֹ׃

He fills the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning from them.

12 וְה֤וּא מְסִבּ֨וֹת ׀ מִתְהַפֵּ֣ךְ בְּתַחְבּוּלֹתָ֣יו לְפָעֳלָ֑ם כֹּ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְצַוֵּ֓ם ׀ עַל־פְּנֵ֖י תֵבֵ֣ל אָֽרְצָה׃

They swirl around under his control; they move over all the earth as he commands.

13 אִם־לְשֵׁ֥בֶט אִם־לְאַרְצ֑וֹ אִם־לְ֝חֶ֗סֶד יַמְצִאֵֽהוּ׃

He does this to accomplish his will, either to discipline or to show his goodness.

14 הַאֲזִ֣ינָה זֹּ֣את אִיּ֑וֹב עֲ֝מֹ֗ד וְהִתְבּוֹנֵ֤ן ׀ נִפְלְא֬וֹת אֵֽל׃

Listen to this, Job! Stop for a moment and consider the wonderful things God does.

15 הֲ֭תֵדַע בְּשׂוּם־אֱל֣וֹהַּ עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וְ֝הוֹפִ֗יעַ א֣וֹר עֲנָנֽוֹ׃

Do you know how God controls the clouds, or makes his lightning flash from them?

16 הֲ֭תֵדַע עַל־מִפְלְשֵׂי־עָ֑ב מִ֝פְלְא֗וֹת תְּמִ֣ים דֵּעִֽים׃

Do you know how clouds float in the sky—the wonderful work of him who knows everything.

17 אֲשֶׁר־בְּגָדֶ֥יךָ חַמִּ֑ים בְּהַשְׁקִ֥ט אֶ֝֗רֶץ מִדָּרֽוֹם׃

You know how your clothes drip with sweat when the south wind brings air that is hot and heavy.

18 תַּרְקִ֣יעַ עִ֭מּוֹ לִשְׁחָקִ֑ים חֲ֝זָקִ֗ים כִּרְאִ֥י מוּצָֽק׃

Can you hammer out the sky so it becomes like a molten mirror, as he does?

19 ה֭וֹדִיעֵנוּ מַה־נֹּ֣אמַר ל֑וֹ לֹ֥א־נַ֝עֲרֹ֗ךְ מִפְּנֵי־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

So why don't you teach us what to tell God? We cannot make our case because we are in the dark!

20 הַֽיְסֻפַּר־ל֭וֹ כִּ֣י אֲדַבֵּ֑ר אִֽם־אָ֥מַר אִ֝֗ישׁ כִּ֣י יְבֻלָּֽע׃

Should God be told that I want to speak? Anyone who wanted to would be destroyed!

21 וְעַתָּ֤ה ׀ לֹ֘א רָ֤אוּ א֗וֹר בָּהִ֣יר ה֭וּא בַּשְּׁחָקִ֑ים וְר֥וּחַ עָ֝בְרָ֗ה וַֽתְּטַהֲרֵֽם׃

After all, we can't look at the sun when it blazes brightly in the sky, after the wind has cleared away the clouds.

22 מִ֭צָּפוֹן זָהָ֣ב יֶֽאֱתֶ֑ה עַל־אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ נ֣וֹרָא הֽוֹד׃

Out of the north God comes shining like gold, surrounded in awesome majesty.

23 שַׁדַּ֣י לֹֽא־מְ֭צָאנֻהוּ שַׂגִּיא־כֹ֑חַ וּמִשְׁפָּ֥ט וְרֹב־צְ֝דָקָ֗ה לֹ֣א יְעַנֶּֽה׃

We cannot approach the Almighty for he is far beyond us in power and justice, and doing right.

24 לָ֭כֵן יְרֵא֣וּהוּ אֲנָשִׁ֑ים לֹֽא־יִ֝רְאֶ֗ה כָּל־חַכְמֵי־לֵֽב׃ פ

He does not act like a tyrant—no wonder people are in awe of him, though he does not value those who think they're wise.”