Job 38

1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind,

And YHWH answers Job out of the whirlwind and says:

2 “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

“Who [is] this—darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?

3 Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you answer me!

Now gird your loins as a man, And I ask you, and you cause Me to know.

4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding.

Where were you when I founded the earth? Declare, if you have known understanding.

5 Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?

Who placed its measures—if you know? Or who has stretched out a line on it?

6 What were its foundations fastened on? Or who laid its cornerstone,

On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who has cast its cornerstone—

7 when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

In the singing together of [the] stars of morning, When all [the] sons of God shout for joy?

8 “Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke out of the womb,

And He shuts up the sea with doors, In its coming forth, it goes out from the womb.

9 when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness,

In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band,

10 marked out for it my bound, set bars and doors,

And I measure My statute over it, And place bar and doors,

11 and said, ‘You may come here, but no further. Your proud waves shall be stopped here’?

And say, To here you come, and no more, And a command is placed On the pride of your billows.

12 “Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place,

Have you commanded morning since your days? Do you cause the dawn to know its place?

13 that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and shake the wicked out of it?

To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it,

14 It is changed as clay under the seal, and presented as a garment.

It turns itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed.

15 From the wicked, their light is withheld. The high arm is broken.

And their light is withheld from the wicked, And the arm lifted up is broken.

16 “Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep?

Have you come to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Have you walked up and down?

17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?

Were the gates of death revealed to you? And do you see the gates of death-shade?

18 Have you comprehended the earth in its width? Declare, if you know it all.

You have understanding, Even to the broad places of earth! Declare—if you have known it all.

19 “What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is its place,

Where [is] this—the way light dwells? And darkness, where [is] this—its place?

20 that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house?

That you take it to its boundary, And that you understand the paths of its house.

21 Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!

You have known—for then you are born, And the number of your days [are] many!

22 Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,

Have you come to the treasure of snow? Indeed, do you see the treasures of hail,

23 which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle?

24 By what way is the lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth?

Where [is] this, the way light is apportioned? It scatters an east wind over the earth.

25 Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunderstorm,

Who has divided a conduit for the flood? And a way for the lightning of the voices?

26 to cause it to rain on a land where there is no man, on the wilderness, in which there is no man,

To cause [it] to rain on a land [with] no man, A wilderness [with] no man in it.

27 to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, to cause the tender grass to grow?

To satisfy a desolate and ruined place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass?

28 Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew?

Does the rain have a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?

29 Whose womb did the ice come out of? Who has given birth to the gray frost of the sky?

From whose belly came forth the ice? And the hoarfrost of the heavens, Who has begotten it?

30 The waters become hard like stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen.

Waters are hidden as a stone, And the face of the deep is captured.

31 “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?

Do you bind the chains of the Pleiades? Or do you open the cords of Orion?

32 Can you lead the constellations out in their season? Or can you guide the Bear with her cubs?

Do you bring out the twelve signs in [their] season? And do you comfort the Great Bear over her sons?

33 Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth?

Have you known the statutes of the heavens? Or do you appoint Its dominion in the earth?

34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover you?

Do you lift up your voice to the cloud, And abundance of water covers you?

35 Can you send out lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?

Do you send out lightnings, and they go And say to you, Behold us?

36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind?

Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the covered part?

37 Who can count the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the containers of the sky,

Who numbers the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who causes to lie down,

38 when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods of earth stick together?

In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together?

39 “Can you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

Do you hunt prey for a lion? And fulfill the desire of young lions?

40 when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket?

When they bow down in dens—Abide in a thicket for a covert?

41 Who provides for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food?

Who prepares for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry to God? They wander without food.”