Job 37-39

New International Version

37 “At this my heart pounds^(A)
    and leaps from its place.
² Listen!^(B) Listen to the roar of his voice,^(C)
    to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.^(D)
3 He unleashes his lightning^(E) beneath the whole heaven
    and sends it to the ends of the earth.^(F)
4 After that comes the sound of his roar;
    he thunders^(G) with his majestic voice.^(H)
When his voice resounds,
    he holds nothing back.
⁵ God’s voice thunders^(I) in marvelous ways;^(J)
    he does great things beyond our understanding.^(K)
6 He says to the snow,^(L) ‘Fall on the earth,’
    and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’^(M)
7 So that everyone he has made may know his work,^(N)
    he stops all people from their labor.^[a](O)
8 The animals take cover;^(P)
    they remain in their dens.^(Q)
9 The tempest comes out from its chamber,^(R)
    the cold from the driving winds.^(S)
10 The breath of God produces ice,
    and the broad waters become frozen.^(T)
11 He loads the clouds with moisture;^(U)
    he scatters his lightning^(V) through them.^(W)
12 At his direction they swirl around
    over the face of the whole earth
    to do whatever he commands them.^(X)
13 He brings the clouds to punish people,^(Y)
    or to water his earth and show his love.^(Z)

¹⁴ “Listen^(AA) to this, Job;
    stop and consider God’s wonders.^(AB)
15 Do you know how God controls the clouds
    and makes his lightning^(AC) flash?^(AD)
16 Do you know how the clouds hang poised,^(AE)
    those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?^(AF)
17 You who swelter in your clothes
    when the land lies hushed under the south wind,^(AG)
18 can you join him in spreading out the skies,^(AH)
    hard as a mirror of cast bronze?^(AI)

¹⁹ “Tell us what we should say to him;^(AJ)
    we cannot draw up our case^(AK) because of our darkness.^(AL)
20 Should he be told that I want to speak?
    Would anyone ask to be swallowed up?
²¹ Now no one can look at the sun,^(AM)
    bright as it is in the skies
    after the wind has swept them clean.
²² Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;^(AN)
    God comes in awesome majesty.^(AO)
23 The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;^(AP)
    in his justice^(AQ) and great righteousness, he does not oppress.^(AR)
24 Therefore, people revere him,^(AS)
    for does he not have regard for all the wise^(AT) in heart?^[b]”

² “Who is this that obscures my plans^(AW)
    with words without knowledge?^(AX)
3 Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.^(AY)

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?^(AZ)
    Tell me, if you understand.^(BA)
5 Who marked off its dimensions?^(BB) Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line^(BC) across it?
⁶ On what were its footings set,^(BD)
    or who laid its cornerstone^(BE)—
⁷ while the morning stars^(BF) sang together^(BG)
    and all the angels^[c](BH) shouted for joy?^(BI)

⁸ “Who shut up the sea behind doors^(BJ)
    when it burst forth from the womb,^(BK)
9 when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,^(BL)
10 when I fixed limits for it^(BM)
    and set its doors and bars in place,^(BN)
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;^(BO)
    here is where your proud waves halt’?^(BP)

¹² “Have you ever given orders to the morning,^(BQ)
    or shown the dawn its place,^(BR)
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
    and shake the wicked^(BS) out of it?^(BT)
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;^(BU)
    its features stand out like those of a garment.
¹⁵ The wicked are denied their light,^(BV)
    and their upraised arm is broken.^(BW)

¹⁶ “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?^(BX)
17 Have the gates of death^(BY) been shown to you?
    Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?^(BZ)
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?^(CA)
    Tell me, if you know all this.^(CB)

¹⁹ “What is the way to the abode of light?
    And where does darkness reside?^(CC)
20 Can you take them to their places?
    Do you know the paths^(CD) to their dwellings?
²¹ Surely you know, for you were already born!^(CE)
    You have lived so many years!

²² “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow^(CF)
    or seen the storehouses^(CG) of the hail,^(CH)
23 which I reserve for times of trouble,^(CI)
    for days of war and battle?^(CJ)
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,^(CK)
    or the place where the east winds^(CL) are scattered over the earth?^(CM)
25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
    and a path for the thunderstorm,^(CN)
26 to water^(CO) a land where no one lives,
    an uninhabited desert,^(CP)
27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
    and make it sprout with grass?^(CQ)
28 Does the rain have a father?^(CR)
    Who fathers the drops of dew?
²⁹ From whose womb comes the ice?
    Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens^(CS)
30 when the waters become hard as stone,
    when the surface of the deep is frozen?^(CT)

³¹ “Can you bind the chains^[d] of the Pleiades?
    Can you loosen Orion’s belt?^(CU)
32 Can you bring forth the constellations^(CV) in their seasons^[e]
    or lead out the Bear^[f] with its cubs?^(CW)
33 Do you know the laws^(CX) of the heavens?^(CY)
    Can you set up God’s^[g] dominion over the earth?

³⁴ “Can you raise your voice to the clouds
    and cover yourself with a flood of water?^(CZ)
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?^(DA)
    Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
³⁶ Who gives the ibis wisdom^[h](DB)
    or gives the rooster understanding?^[i](DC)
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
    Who can tip over the water jars^(DD) of the heavens^(DE)
38 when the dust becomes hard^(DF)
    and the clods of earth stick together?^(DG)

³⁹ “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
    and satisfy the hunger of the lions^(DH)
40 when they crouch in their dens^(DI)
    or lie in wait in a thicket?^(DJ)
41 Who provides food^(DK) for the raven^(DL)
    when its young cry out to God
    and wander about for lack of food?^(DM)

39 “Do you know when the mountain goats^(DN) give birth?
    Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?^(DO)
2 Do you count the months till they bear?
    Do you know the time they give birth?^(DP)
3 They crouch down and bring forth their young;
    their labor pains are ended.
⁴ Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
    they leave and do not return.

⁵ “Who let the wild donkey^(DQ) go free?
    Who untied its ropes?
⁶ I gave it the wasteland^(DR) as its home,
    the salt flats^(DS) as its habitat.^(DT)
7 It laughs^(DU) at the commotion in the town;
    it does not hear a driver’s shout.^(DV)
8 It ranges the hills^(DW) for its pasture
    and searches for any green thing.

⁹ “Will the wild ox^(DX) consent to serve you?^(DY)
    Will it stay by your manger^(DZ) at night?
¹⁰ Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness?^(EA)
    Will it till the valleys behind you?
¹¹ Will you rely on it for its great strength?^(EB)
    Will you leave your heavy work to it?
¹² Can you trust it to haul in your grain
    and bring it to your threshing floor?

¹³ “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
    though they cannot compare
    with the wings and feathers of the stork.^(EC)
14 She lays her eggs on the ground
    and lets them warm in the sand,
¹⁵ unmindful that a foot may crush them,
    that some wild animal may trample them.^(ED)
16 She treats her young harshly,^(EE) as if they were not hers;
    she cares not that her labor was in vain,
¹⁷ for God did not endow her with wisdom
    or give her a share of good sense.^(EF)
18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
    she laughs^(EG) at horse and rider.

¹⁹ “Do you give the horse its strength^(EH)
    or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
²⁰ Do you make it leap like a locust,^(EI)
    striking terror^(EJ) with its proud snorting?^(EK)
21 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,^(EL)
    and charges into the fray.^(EM)
22 It laughs^(EN) at fear, afraid of nothing;
    it does not shy away from the sword.
²³ The quiver^(EO) rattles against its side,
    along with the flashing spear^(EP) and lance.
²⁴ In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground;
    it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.^(EQ)
25 At the blast of the trumpet^(ER) it snorts, ‘Aha!’
    It catches the scent of battle from afar,
    the shout of commanders and the battle cry.^(ES)

²⁶ “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
    and spread its wings toward the south?^(ET)
27 Does the eagle soar at your command
    and build its nest on high?^(EU)
28 It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;
    a rocky crag^(EV) is its stronghold.
²⁹ From there it looks for food;^(EW)
    its eyes detect it from afar.
³⁰ Its young ones feast on blood,
    and where the slain are, there it is.”^(EX)