Job 38:34

JPS Old Testament

Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Can you command the cloudsso that a flood of water covers you?

Hebrew Names Version
"Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover you?

King James Version
Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

English Standard Version
"Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of waters may cover you?

New Century Version
"Can you shout an order to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water?

New English Translation
Can you raise your voice to the clouds so that a flood of water covers you?

Amplified Bible
"Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, So that an abundance of water will cover you?

New American Standard Bible
"Can you raise your voice to the clouds, So that an abundance of water will cover you?

World English Bible
"Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover you?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Canst thou lift vp thy voice to the cloudes that the aboundance of water may couer thee?

Legacy Standard Bible
"Can you raise your voice up to the clouds,So that an abundance of water will cover you?

Berean Standard Bible
Can you command the clouds so that a flood of water covers you?

Contemporary English Version
Can you order the clouds to send a downpour,

Complete Jewish Bible
"Can you raise your voice to the clouds and make them cover you with a flood of rain?

Darby Translation
Dost thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that floods of waters may cover thee?

Easy-to-Read Version
"Can you shout at the clouds and command them to cover you with rain?

George Lamsa Translation
Can you lift up your voice to the clouds? Or can you cover them with abundance of waters?

Good News Translation
Can you shout orders to the clouds and make them drench you with rain?

Lexham English Bible
Can you lift up your voice to the clouds so that a flood of water may cover you?

Literal Translation
Can you lift your voice to the clouds, so that floods of water may cover you?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Morouer, cast thou lift vp thy voyce to ye cloudes, yt they maye poure downe a greate rayne vpo the?

American Standard Version
Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover thee?

Bible in Basic English
Is your voice sent up to the cloud, so that you may be covered by the weight of waters?

King James Version (1611)
Canst thou lift vp thy voice to the cloudes, that abundance of waters may couer thee?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Moreouer, canst thou lift vp thy voyce to the cloudes, that they may powre downe a great rayne vpon thee?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And wilt thou call a cloud with thy voice, and will it obey thee with a violent shower of much rain?

English Revised Version
Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whethir thou schalt reise thi vois in to a cloude, and the fersnesse of watris schal hile thee?

Update Bible Version
Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover you?

Webster's Bible Translation
Canst thou lift thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

New King James Version
"Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That an abundance of water may cover you?

New Living Translation
"Can you shout to the clouds and make it rain?

New Life Bible
"Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of water may cover you?

New Revised Standard
"Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that a flood of waters may cover you?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Canst thou lift up, to the thick cloud, thy voice, and the overflow of waters cover thee?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that an abundance of waters may cover thee?

Revised Standard Version
"Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of waters may cover you?

Young's Literal Translation
Dost thou lift up to the cloud thy voice, And abundance of water doth cover thee?

THE MESSAGE
"Can you get the attention of the clouds, and commission a shower of rain? Can you take charge of the lightning bolts and have them report to you for orders?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, So that an abundance of water will cover you?

Contextual Overview

²⁵ Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood, or a way for the lightning of the thunder; ²⁶ To cause it to rain on a land where no man is, on the wilderness, wherein there is no man; ²⁷ To satisfy the desolate and waste ground, and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth? ²⁸ Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew? ²⁹ Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoar-frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? ³⁰ The waters are congealed like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. ³¹ Canst thou bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? ³² Canst thou lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? Or canst thou guide the Bear with her sons? ³³ Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth? ³⁴ Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 Samuel 12:18, Amos 5:8, Zechariah 10:1, James 5:18

Reciprocal: Job 36:27 - he Job 36:30 - he Jeremiah 10:13 - uttereth Jeremiah 51:16 - there is Matthew 8:9 - Go

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?] Thy gardens, fields, and farms; canst thou, in a magisterial way, call to and demand of the clouds to let down rain in large quantities, sufficient to water them and make them fruitful? no, thou canst not: thou mayest cry and call as long as thou wilt, not a cloud will stir, nor a drop of water be let down; rain is to be had in a suppliant way, through the prayer of faith, as by Elijah, but not in a dictatorial authoritative way: the clouds and rain are only at the disposal of the Lord; ask of him, and he will give them; but they are not to be commanded, Zechariah 10:1; see Amos 5:8.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee? - That is, canst thou command the clouds so that they shall send down abundant rain? Bouillier supposes that there is an allusion here to the incantations which were pretended to be practiced by the Magi, by which they claimed the power of producing rain at pleasure; compare Jeremiah 14:22, “Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles (the idols that they worship) that can cause rain? Art not thou he, O Lord our God?” The idea is, that it is God only who can cause rain, and that the control of the clouds from which rain descends is wholly beyond the reach of man.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 38:34. Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds — Canst thou produce lightning and thunder, that water may be formed, and poured down upon the earth?

Thunder is called קלות koloth, voices; for it is considered the voice of God: here then Job's voice, קולך kolecha, is opposed to the voice of JEHOVAH!