Study Desk

"And now, because He has not [quickly] punished in His anger, Nor has He acknowledged transgression and arrogance well [and seems unaware of the wrong of which a person is guilty],

Job uselessly opens his mouth And multiplies words without knowledge [drawing the worthless conclusion that the righteous have no more advantage than the wicked]."

"He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous [those in right standing with Him]; But with kings upon the throne He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.

"He rescues the afflicted in their affliction, And opens their ears [so that they pay attention to His voice] in times of oppression.

"Behold, God is exalted in His power; Who is a ruler or a teacher like Him?

"Who has appointed God His way, And who can say [to Him], 'You have done wrong'?

"Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; The number of His years is unsearchable.

"Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds Or the thundering of His pavilion?

"Behold, He spreads His lightning around Him [against the dark clouds], And He covers the depths of the sea.

"He covers His hands with the lightning, And commands it to strike the mark.

"His thundering voice declares [awesomely] His presence; The cattle also are told of His coming storm.

"Indeed, at His thundering my heart trembles And leaps out of its place.

"Listen carefully to the thunder of His voice, And the rumbling that goes out of His mouth!

"He lets it loose under the whole heaven, And His lightning to the ends of the earth.

"After it, His voice roars; He thunders with the voice of His majesty, And He does not restrain His lightning [against His adversaries] when His voice is heard.

"God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend.

"For He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth'; And [He speaks] to the showers and to the downpour [of His mighty rains], 'Be strong.'

"God seals (brings to a standstill, stops) [by severe weather] the hand of every man, That all men [whom He has made] may know His work [that is, His sovereign power and their subjection to it].

"He loads the thick cloud with moisture; He disperses the cloud of His lightning.

"Its direction is turned around by His guidance, That it may do whatever He commands it On the face of the inhabited earth.