Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty

[“] At this my heart also pounds

and leaps from its place.

2 

Listen closely to the thunder of His voice

and the rumbling [that] comes from His mouth.

3 

He unleashes His lightning beneath the whole sky

and sends it to the ends of the earth.

4 

Then there comes a roaring sound;

He thunders with His majestic voice.

He does not restrain [the lightning]

when His voice resounds.

5 

God thunders wondrously with His voice;

He does great things we cannot comprehend.

6 

For He says to the snow,‘Fall [on] the earth,’

and to the gentle rain‘Pour out a mighty downpour.’

7 

He seals up the hand of every man,

so that all men may know His work.

8 

The wild animals enter their lairs;

they settle down in their dens.

9 

The tempest comes from its chamber,

and the cold from the driving north winds.

10 

By the breath of God the ice is formed

and the watery expanses are frozen.

11 

He loads the clouds with moisture;

He scatters His lightning through them.

12 

They swirl about,

whirling at His direction,

accomplishing all that He commands

over the face of all the earth.

13 

Whether for punishment or for His land,

He accomplishes this in His loving devotion.

14 

Listen to this, O Job;

stand still and consider the wonders of God.

15 

Do you know how God dispatches the clouds

or makes the lightning flash?

16 

Do you understand how the clouds float,

those wonders of Him who is perfect in knowledge?

17 

You whose clothes get hot

when the land lies hushed under the south wind,

18 

can you, like Him, spread out the skies,

as strong as a mirror of bronze?

19 

Teach us what we should say to Him;

we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness.

20 

Should He be told that I want to speak?

Would a man ask to be swallowed up[fn]?

21 

Now no one can gaze at the sun

[when] it [is] bright in the skies

after the wind has swept them clean.

22 

Out of the north He comes in golden [splendor];

awesome majesty surrounds Him.

23 

The Almighty is beyond our reach;

He is exalted in power!

In His justice and great righteousness

He does not oppress.

24 

Therefore, men fear Him,

for He is not partial to the wise in heart.” 38