1. "At this my heart shakes with fear and jumps from its place.
2. Listen to the thunder of His voice and the noise that comes from His mouth.
3. He lets it loose under the whole heaven. He lets His lightning go to the ends of the earth.
4. His voice sounds after it. He thunders with His great and powerful voice. And He does not hold back the lightning when His voice is heard.
5. God thunders with His great voice. He does great things which we cannot understand.
6. For He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain, 'Be strong.'
7. He stops the work of every man, that all men may know His work.
8. Then the wild animals go to their holes, and stay where they live.
9. The storm comes from the south, and the cold from the north.
10. Water becomes ice by the breath of God. The wide waters become ice.
11. He loads the heavy clouds with water and they send out His lightning.
12. It changes its path and turns around by His leading, doing whatever He tells it to do on the earth where people live.
13. He causes it to happen for punishment, or for His world, or because of His love.
14. "Hear this, O Job. Stop and think about the great works of God.
15. Do you know how God does them, and makes the lightning shine from His cloud?
16. Do you know how the clouds are set in heaven, the great works of Him Who is perfect in understanding?
17. Do you know why you are hot in your clothes when the land becomes quiet because of the south wind?
18. Can you help Him spread out the sky, making it as hard as a mirror made from heated brass?
19. Teach us what we should say to Him. We cannot put words together to help us because of darkness.
20. Should He be told that I want to speak? Did a man ever wish to be swallowed up?
21. "Now men cannot look on the light when it is bright in the sky, when the wind has passed and made it clear.
22. A bright gold light is seen in the north. Around God is great power.
23. We cannot come near the All-powerful. He is lifted high with power. And He is right and fair and good and will not make it hard for us.
24. So men honor Him with fear. He has respect for any who are wise in heart."