1My heart pounds at this and leaps from my chest.

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 ends of the earth.

4Then there comes a roaring sound; God thunders with His majestic voice. He does not restrain the lightning when His rumbling voice is heard.

5God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things that we cannot comprehend.

6For He says to the snow, "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.

9The windstorm comes from its chamber, and the cold from the driving north winds.

10Ice is formed by the breath of God, and watery expanses are frozen.

11He saturates clouds with moisture; 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; 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 men cannot even look at the sun when it is in the skies, after a wind has swept through and cleared them away.

22Yet out of the north He comes, shrouded in a golden glow; awesome majesty surrounds Him.

23The Almighty--we cannot reach Him-- He is exalted in power! He will not oppress justice and abundant righteousness,

24Therefore, men fear Him. He does not look favorably on any who are wise in heart.