1My hearta pounds at this

and leaps from my chest.A

2Just listen to his thunderous voice

and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.

3He lets it loose beneath the entire sky;

his lightning to the endsa of the earth.

4Then there comes a roaring sound;

God thundersa with his majestic voice.

He does not restrain the lightning

when his rumbling voice is heard.

5God thunders wondrously with his voice;

he does great things that we cannot comprehend.

6For he says to the snow,a “Fall to the earth,”

and the torrential rains, his mighty torrential rains,

7serve as his sign to all mankind,

so that all men may know his work.

8The wild animals enter their lairs

and stay in their dens.a

9The windstorm comes from its chamber,

and the cold from the driving north winds.

10Ice is formed by the breath of God,a

and watery expanses are frozen.

11He saturates clouds with moisture;a

he scatters his lightning through them.

12They swirl about,

turning round and round at his direction,

accomplishing everything he commands them

over the surface of the inhabited world.

13He causes this to happen for punishment,

for his land, or for his faithful love.

14Listen to this, Job.

Stop and consider God’s wonders.

15Do you know how God directs his clouds

or makes their lightning flash?

16Do you understand how the clouds float,

those wonderful works of him who has perfect knowledge?

17You whose clothes get hot

when the south wind brings calm to the land,

18can you help God spread out the skies

as hard as a cast metal mirror?

19Teach us what we should say to him;a

we cannot prepare our case because of our darkness.

20Should he be told that I want to speak?

Can a man speak when he is confused?

21Now no one can even look at the sun

after a wind has swept through and cleared the sky.

22Out of the north he comes, shrouded in a golden glow;

awesomea majesty surrounds him.

23The Almighty — we cannot reach him —

he is exalted in power!

He will not violate justice and abundant righteousness,

24therefore, men fear him.

He does not look favorably on any who are wisea in heart.