Job 38
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
And Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,
2 “Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.
Gird up now thy loins like a man; and I will demand of thee, and inform thou me.
4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.
Where wast thou when I founded the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched a measuring line across it?
Who set the measures thereof — if thou knowest? or who stretched a line upon it?
6 On what were its foundations set, or who laid its cornerstone,
Whereupon were the foundations thereof sunken? or who laid its corner-stone,
7 while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb,
And who shut up the sea with doors, when it burst forth, issuing out of the womb?
9 when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its blanket,
When I made the cloud its garment, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it;
10 when I fixed its boundaries and set in place its bars and doors,
When I cut out for it my boundary, and set bars and doors,
11 and I declared: ‘You may come this far, but no farther; here your proud waves must stop’?
And said, Hitherto shalt thou come and no further, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
12 In your days, have you commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place,
Hast thou since thy days commanded the morning? hast thou caused the dawn to know its place,
13 that it might spread to the ends of the earth and shake the wicked out of it?
That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its hills stand out like the folds of a garment.
It is changed like the signet-clay; and [all things] stand forth as in a garment:
15 Light is withheld from the wicked, and their upraised arm is broken.
And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the uplifted arm is broken.
16 Have you journeyed to the vents of the sea or walked in the trenches of the deep?
Hast thou entered as far as the springs of the sea? and hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?
Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee? and hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?
18 Have you surveyed the extent of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.
Hath thine understanding compassed the breadths of the earth? Declare if thou knowest it all.
19 Where is the way to the home of light? Do you know where darkness resides,
Where is the way to where light dwelleth? and the darkness, where is its place,
20 so you can lead it back to its border? Do you know the paths to its home?
That thou shouldest take it to its bound, and that thou shouldest know the paths to its house?
21 Surely you know, for you were already born! And the number of your days is great!
Thou knowest, for thou wast then born, and the number of thy days is great!
22 Have you entered the storehouses of snow or observed the storehouses of hail,
Hast thou entered into the storehouses of the snow, and hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail,
23 which I hold in reserve for times of trouble, for the day of war and battle?
Which I have reserved for the time of distress, for the day of battle and war?
24 In which direction is the lightning dispersed, or the east wind scattered over the earth?
By what way is the light parted, [and] the east wind scattered upon the earth?
25 Who cuts a channel for the flood or clears a path for the thunderbolt,
Who hath divided a channel for the rain-flood, and a way for the thunder's flash;
26 to bring rain on a barren land, on a desert where no man lives,
To cause it to rain on the earth, where no one is; on the wilderness wherein there is not a man;
27 to satisfy the parched wasteland and make it sprout with tender grass?
To satisfy the desolate and waste [ground], and to cause the sprout of the grass to spring forth?
28 Does the rain have a father? Who has begotten the drops of dew?
Hath the rain a father? or who begetteth the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb does the ice emerge? Who gives birth to the frost from heaven,
Out of whose womb cometh the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who bringeth it forth?
30 when the waters become hard as stone and the surface of the deep is frozen?
When the waters lie hidden as in stone, and the face of the deep holdeth fast together.
31 Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion?
Canst thou fasten the bands of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?
32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear and her cubs?
Dost thou bring forth the constellations each in its season? or dost thou guide the Bear with her sons?
33 Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?
Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? dost thou determine their rule over the earth?
34 Can you command the clouds so that a flood of water covers you?
Dost thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that floods of waters may cover thee?
35 Can you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
Dost thou send forth lightnings that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?
36 Who has put wisdom in the heart or given understanding to the mind?
Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the mind?
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Or who can tilt the water jars of the heavens
Who numbereth the clouds with wisdom? or who poureth out the bottles of the heavens,
38 when the dust hardens into a mass and the clods of earth stick together?
When the dust runneth as into a molten mass, and the clods cleave fast together?
39 Can you hunt the prey for a lioness or satisfy the hunger of young lions
Dost thou hunt the prey for the lioness, and dost thou satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait in the thicket?
When they crouch in [their] dens, [and] abide in the thicket to lie in wait?
41 Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God as they wander about for lack of food?
Who provideth for the raven his food, when his young ones cry unto God, [and] they wander for lack of meat?
