Job 40
1 And the LORD said to Job:
Then Yahweh said to Job,
2 “Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who argues with God give an answer.”
“Do you still want to argue with me, the Almighty One? Since you criticize me, (you should be able to answer my questions!/why are you not able to answer my questions?) [RHQ]”
3 Then Job answered the LORD:
Then Job replied to Yahweh,
4 “Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth.
“[Now I realize that] I am completely worthless. So (how could I answer [those questions]?/I could not possibly answer [those questions]!) [RHQ] I will put my hand over my mouth [and not say anything].
5 I have spoken once, but I have no answer— twice, but I have nothing to add.”
I have already said more than I should have said, so now I will say nothing more.”
6 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
Then Yahweh [again] spoke to Job from inside the great windstorm. He said,
7 “Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.
“I want to ask you some [more] questions. So as men prepare themselves for a difficult task [MET], prepare yourself again to answer some [more] questions.
8 Would you really annul My justice? Would you condemn Me to justify yourself?
“Are you going to accuse me and say that I am unjust? Are you going to say that what I have done is wrong, in order that you can say that what you have done is right?
9 Do you have an arm like God’s? Can you thunder with a voice like His?
Are you as powerful [MTY] as I am? Can your voice sound [as loud] as thunder, as mine can?
10 Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and clothe yourself with honor and glory.
[If you can do that], put on the robes that show that you are glorious and are greatly honored!
11 Unleash the fury of your wrath; look on every proud man and bring him low.
Show that you are very angry; show that you have the right/authority to humble people who are [very] proud!
12 Look on every proud man and humble him; trample the wicked where they stand.
Humble those proud people [just] by looking at them [angrily] Crush wicked people quickly!
13 Bury them together in the dust; imprison them in the grave.
Bury them in the ground! Send them to the place where dead people are, where they will not be able to get out!
14 Then I will confess to you that your own right hand can save you.
After you do that, I will congratulate/praise you and say that [truly] you can save yourself by your own ability/power.
15 Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you. He feeds on grass like an ox.
“Think [also] about the huge animals that live near the water. I made you, and I made them also. They eat grass, like oxen do.
16 See the strength of his loins and the power in the muscles of his belly.
Their legs/thighs are [very] strong, and the muscles of their bellies are [very] powerful.
17 His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
Their tails are stiff (OR, bend down) like the branches of a cedar tree. The sinews/muscles of their thighs are close together.
18 His bones are tubes of bronze; his limbs are rods of iron.
Their [thigh] bones are [like] tubes [made] of bronze, and the bones of their legs are like bars [made] of iron.
19 He is the foremost of God’s works; only his Maker can draw the sword against him.
They are among the strongest of the animals that I made, and I, who created them, am the only one who can kill them.
20 The hills yield him their produce, while all the beasts of the field play nearby.
On the hills grows food [PRS] for them to eat while many [HYP] other wild animals play nearby.
21 He lies under the lotus plants, hidden among the reeds of the marsh.
They lie down [in the water] under the lotus plants; they hide in [tall] reeds in the swamps.
22 The lotus plants conceal him in their shade; the willows of the brook surround him.
Those huge animals find shade under the lotus plants, and they are surrounded by poplar trees.
23 Though the river rages, Behemoth is unafraid; he remains secure, though the Jordan surges to his mouth.
They are not disturbed by raging/swiftly-flowing rivers; they are not even disturbed/frightened when [rivers like the] Jordan [River] rush over them.
24 Can anyone capture him as he looks on, or pierce his nose with a snare?
No one can [RHQ] catch them by blinding their eyes or by piercing their noses with [the teeth of] a trap!”
