Job 38
1 And the Lord made answer to Job out of the storm-wind, and said,
Then did the Lord address Job out of the storm-wind, and said,
2 Who is this who makes the purpose of God dark by words without knowledge?
Who is this that casteth darkness [on my] counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Get your strength together like a man of war; I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.
Do but gird up like a mighty man thy loins: and I will ask thee, and do thou inform me.
4 Where were you when I put the earth on its base? Say, if you have knowledge.
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? tell it, if thou hast any understanding [of it].
5 By whom were its measures fixed? Say, if you have wisdom; or by whom was the line stretched out over it?
Who fixed her measurements, if thou knowest it? or who stretched the measuring-line over her?
6 On what were its pillars based, or who put down its angle-stone,
Upon what are her foundation-pillars placed at rest? or who laid her corner-stone:
7 When the morning stars made songs together, and all the sons of the gods gave cries of joy?
When altogether sang the morning stars in gladness, and shouted for joy all the sons of God?
8 Or where were you when the sea came to birth, pushing out from its secret place;
And who closed up with doors the sea, when, issuing forth, it came out of the deep bosom of the earth?
9 When I made the cloud its robe, and put thick clouds as bands round it,
When I made the clouds its garment, and thick fog its swaddling-cloth,
10 Ordering a fixed limit for it, with locks and doors;
And when I decreed for it my law, and set [for it] bars and doors,
11 And said, So far you may come, and no farther; and here the pride of your waves will be stopped?
And said, Thus far mayest thou come, but no farther; and here shall be stayed [thy strength] in the pride of thy waves?
12 Have you, from your earliest days, given orders to the morning, or made the dawn conscious of its place;
Didst thou ever, in all thy days, command the morning; didst thou ever assign the morning-dawn its place:
13 So that it might take a grip of the skirts of the earth, shaking all the evil-doers out of it?
That it might lay hold of the ends of the earth, so that the wicked might be shaken out therefrom?
14 It is changed like wet earth under a stamp, and is coloured like a robe;
She is changed as the sealing-clay: and [all things] stand as though newly clad.
15 And from the evil-doers their light is kept back, and the arm of pride is broken.
And from the wicked is their light withdrawn, and the high-raised arm is broken.
16 Have you come into the springs of the sea, walking in the secret places of the deep?
Didst thou ever penetrate as far as the springs of the sea? or wander through the bottom of the deep?
17 Have the doors of death been open to you, or have the door-keepers of the dark ever seen you?
Were the gates of death ever laid open unto thee? or canst thou see the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Have you taken note of the wide limits of the earth? Say, if you have knowledge of it all.
Hast thou a clear understanding of the breadth of the earth? Tell it, if thou knowest it all.
19 Which is the way to the resting-place of the light, and where is the store-house of the dark;
Where is the way [to the spot where] the light dwelleth? and the darkness—where is its place,
20 So that you might take it to its limit, guiding it to its house?
That thou mightest take each to its boundary, and that thou mightest mark the pathways to its house?
21 No doubt you have knowledge of it, for then you had come to birth, and the number of your days is great.
Thou [surely] knowest it; because thou wast then born, and the number of thy days is great!
22 Have you come into the secret place of snow, or have you seen the store-houses of the ice-drops,
Didst thou ever enter into the treasuries of the snow? or canst thou see the treasuries of the hail,
23 Which I have kept for the time of trouble, for the day of war and fighting?
Which I have reserved for the time of distress, for the day of fight and battle?
24 Which is the way to the place where the wind is measured out, and the east wind sent out over the earth?
Where is the way [to the spot where] the light divideth itself, [where] the east wind is scattered over the earth?
25 By whom has the way been cut for the flowing of the rain, and the flaming of the thunder;
Who hath divided off watercourses for the overflowing rain, and a way for the lightning [that is followed by] thunders,
26 Causing rain to come on a land where no man is living, on the waste land which has no people;
To bring rain on a land, void of men; on a wilderness wherein no son of earth [is found];
27 To give water to the land where there is waste and destruction, and to make the dry land green with young grass?
To satisfy waste and desolate lands; and to promote the growth of the tender grass?
28 Has the rain a father? or who gave birth to the drops of night mist?
Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of the dew?
29 Out of whose body came the ice? and who gave birth to the cold mist of heaven?
Out of whose womb cometh forth the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven—who giveth birth to it?
30 The waters are joined together, hard as a stone, and the face of the deep is covered.
[When] like a stone the waters are congealed, and the face of the deep is bound in fetters?
31 Are the bands of the Pleiades fixed by you, or are the cords of Orion made loose?
Canst thou bind together the chains of the Pleiades, or loosen the bands of Orion?
32 Do you make Mazzaroth come out in its right time, or are the Bear and its children guided by you?
Canst thou bring forth the constellations of the zodiac, each in its season? or canst thou guide the Bear with its young?
33 Have you knowledge of the laws of the heavens? did you give them rule over the earth?
Knowest thou the laws of heaven? or dost thou appoint its rule on the earth?
34 Is your voice sent up to the cloud, so that you may be covered by the weight of waters?
Canst thou lift up to the clouds thy voice, that the abundance of waters may cover thee?
35 Do you send out the thunder-flames, so that they may go, and say to you, Here we are?
Canst thou send out lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here are we?
36 Who has put wisdom in the high clouds, or given knowledge to the lights of the north?
Who hath put wisdom in the dark clouds? or who hath given understanding to the bright meteors?
37 By whose wisdom are the clouds numbered, or the water-skins of the heavens turned to the earth,
Who ordaineth the skies with wisdom? or who emptieth out the bottles of heaven.
38 When the earth becomes hard as metal, and is joined together in masses?
When the dust is poured out as molten metal, and the clods are made to cleave fast together?
39 Do you go after food for the she-lion, or get meat so that the young lions may have enough,
Dost thou hunt for the lioness her prey? and suppliest thou the food for the young lions,
40 When they are stretched out in their holes, and are waiting in the brushwood?
When they are couched in their lairs, rest in the thicket, lying in wait?
41 Who gives in the evening the meat he is searching for, when his young ones are crying to God; when the young lions with loud noise go wandering after their food?
Who provideth for the raven his provision? when his young ones cry unto God, and wander about for lack of food?
