Job 38
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
And Jehovah answereth Job out of the whirlwind, and saith: —
2 “Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?
Who [is] this — darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?
3 Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.
Gird, I pray thee, as a man, thy loins, And I ask thee, and cause thou Me to know.
4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.
Where wast thou when I founded earth? Declare, if thou hast known understanding.
5 Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched a measuring line across it?
Who placed its measures — if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched out upon it a line?
6 On what were its foundations set, or who laid its cornerstone,
On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who hath cast its corner-stone?
7 while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
In the singing together of stars of morning, And all sons of God shout for joy,
8 Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb,
And He shutteth up with doors the sea, In its coming forth, from the womb it goeth out.
9 when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its blanket,
In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band,
10 when I fixed its boundaries and set in place its bars and doors,
And I measure over it My statute, And place bar and doors,
11 and I declared: ‘You may come this far, but no farther; here your proud waves must stop’?
And say, 'Hitherto come thou, and add not, And a command is placed On the pride of thy billows.'
12 In your days, have you commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place,
Hast thou commanded morning since thy days? Causest thou the dawn to know its place?
13 that it might spread to 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 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its hills stand out like the folds of a garment.
It turneth itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed.
15 Light is withheld from the wicked, and their upraised arm is broken.
And withheld from the wicked is their light, And the arm lifted up is broken.
16 Have you journeyed to the vents of the sea or walked in the trenches of the deep?
Hast thou come in to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Hast thou walked up and down?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?
Revealed to thee were the gates of death? And the gates of death-shade dost thou see?
18 Have you surveyed the extent of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.
Thou hast understanding, Even unto the broad places of earth! Declare — if thou hast known it all.
19 Where is the way to the home of light? Do you know where darkness resides,
Where [is] this — the way light dwelleth? And darkness, where [is] this — its place?
20 so you can lead it back to its border? Do you know the paths to its home?
That thou dost take it unto its boundary, And that thou dost understand The paths of its house.
21 Surely you know, for you were already born! And the number of your days is great!
Thou hast known — for then thou art born And the number of thy days [are] many!
22 Have you entered the storehouses of snow or observed the storehouses of hail,
Hast thou come in unto the treasure of snow? Yea, the treasures of hail dost thou see?
23 which I hold in reserve for times of trouble, for the day of war and battle?
That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle.
24 In which direction is the lightning dispersed, or the east wind scattered over the earth?
Where [is] this, the way light is apportioned? It scattereth an east wind over the earth.
25 Who cuts a channel for the flood or clears a path for the thunderbolt,
Who hath divided for the flood a conduit? And a way for the lightning of the voices?
26 to bring rain on a barren land, on a desert where no man lives,
To cause [it] to rain on a land — no man, A wilderness — no man in it.
27 to satisfy the parched wasteland and make it sprout with tender grass?
To satisfy a desolate and waste place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass?
28 Does the rain have a father? Who has begotten the drops of dew?
Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb does the ice emerge? Who gives birth to the frost from heaven,
From whose belly came forth the ice? And the hoar-frost of the heavens, Who hath begotten it?
30 when the waters become hard as stone and the surface of the deep is frozen?
As a stone waters are hidden, And the face of the deep is captured.
31 Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion?
Dost thou bind sweet influences of Kimah? Or the attractions of Kesil dost thou open?
32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear and her cubs?
Dost thou bring out Mazzaroth in its season? And Aysh for her sons dost thou comfort?
33 Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?
Hast thou known the statutes of heaven? Or dost thou appoint Its dominion in the earth?
34 Can you command the clouds so that a flood of water covers you?
Dost thou lift up to the cloud thy voice, And abundance of water doth cover thee?
35 Can you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
Dost thou send out lightnings, and they go And say unto thee, 'Behold us?'
36 Who has put wisdom in the heart or given understanding to the mind?
Who hath put in the inward parts wisdom? Or who hath given To the covered part understanding?
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Or who can tilt the water jars of the heavens
Who doth number the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who doth cause to lie down,
38 when the dust hardens 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 a lioness or satisfy the hunger of young lions
Dost thou hunt for a lion prey? And the desire of young lions fulfil?
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 food for the raven when its young cry out to God as they wander about for lack of food?
Who doth prepare for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry unto God? They wander without food.
