37 1 At this also my heart trembles and leaps from its place. 2 Listen closely to the thunder of his voice, to the rumbling that goes out from his mouth. 3 Under the whole heaven he lets it loose, and his lightning to the corners of the earth. 4 After it a voice roars; he thunders with his majestic voice, and he does not hold back the lightning when his voice is heard. 5 God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend. 6 For to the snow he says, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.' 7 He seals up the hand of every person, so that everyone he has made may know his work. a a v7 "Seals up the hand" is a Hebrew idiom: God's storm halts all human work, making people stop and notice what he is doing. 8 Then the animals go into their lairs and stay in their dens. 9 From its chamber comes the whirlwind, and from the scattering winds the cold. 10 By the breath of God ice forms, and the broad waters freeze solid. 11 He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter his lightning. 12 They turn round and round by his guidance, to do whatever he commands them across the face of the inhabited world. 13 Whether for correction, or for his land, or for covenant love, he makes it happen.
14 Listen to this, Job; stand still and consider the wonders of God. 15 Do you know how God lays his command on them, and makes the lightning of his cloud flash? 16 Do you know how the clouds hang balanced, the wonders of the one perfect in knowledge? 17 You whose clothes are hot when the land lies still under the south wind— 18 can you, with him, spread out the skies, hard as a mirror of cast metal?
19 Teach us what we should say to him; we cannot make our case because of the darkness. 20 Should he be told that I want to speak? Would anyone ask to be swallowed up? 21 And now no one can look at the light when it is bright in the skies, after the wind has passed and cleared them. 22 Out of the north comes golden splendor; awesome majesty surrounds God. 23 The Almighty—we cannot reach him; he is great in power, yet in justice and abundant righteousness he does no wrong. 24 Therefore people fear him; he pays no attention to those who are wise in their own eyes.