Job 40
God continued speaking to Job.
2 Will he who is protesting give teaching to the Ruler of all? Let him who has arguments to put forward against God give an answer.
“Are you still going to fight with the Almighty and try to set him straight? Anyone who argues with God must give some answers.”
3 And Job said in answer to the Lord,
Job answered the Lord,
4 Truly, I am of no value; what answer may I give to you? I will put my hand on my mouth.
“Me—I am nothing at all. I have no answers. I put my hand in front of my mouth.
5 I have said once, and even twice, what was in my mind, but I will not do so again.
I have already said far too much and I won't say anything more.”
6 Then the Lord made answer to Job out of the storm-wind, and said,
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,
7 Get your strength together like a man of war: I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.
“Prepare yourself, be strong, for I am going to question you, and you must answer me.
8 Will you even make my right of no value? will you say that I am wrong in order to make clear that you are right?
Are you really going to say my decisions are wrong? Are you going to condemn me so you can be right?
9 Have you an arm like God? have you a voice of thunder like his?
Are you as powerful as I am? Does your voice thunder like mine?
10 Put on the ornaments of your pride; be clothed with glory and power:
Why don't you dress yourself with majesty and dignity, and clothe yourself with glory and splendor!
11 Let your wrath be overflowing; let your eyes see all the sons of pride, and make them low.
Let loose your fierce anger. Humble the proud with a glance.
12 Send destruction on all who are lifted up, pulling down the sinners from their places.
Bring down the proud with your gaze; tread the wicked underfoot right where they are.
13 Let them be covered together in the dust; let their faces be dark in the secret place of the underworld.
Bury them in the dust; lock them away in the grave.
14 Then I will give praise to you, saying that your right hand is able to give you salvation.
Then I will also agree that your own strength can save you.
15 See now the Great Beast, whom I made, even as I made you; he takes grass for food, like the ox.
Consider Behemoth, a creature I made just like I made you. It eats grass like cattle.
16 His strength is in his body, and his force in the muscles of his stomach.
Look at its powerful loins, the muscles of its belly.
17 His tail is curving like a cedar; the muscles of his legs are joined together.
It bends its tail like a cedar; its thigh sinews are strong.
18 His bones are pipes of brass, his legs are like rods of iron.
Its bones are like bronze tubes; its limbs like iron rods.
19 He is the chief of the ways of God, made by him for his pleasure.
It is the most important example of what God can do; only the one who made it can approach it with a sword.
20 He takes the produce of the mountains, where all the beasts of the field are at play.
The hills produce food for it, and all the wild animals play there.
21 He takes his rest under the trees of the river, and in the pool, under the shade of the water-plants.
It lies under the lotus; it hides in the reeds of the marsh.
22 He is covered by the branches of the trees; the grasses of the stream are round him.
The lotus covers it with shade; the willow trees of the valley surround it.
23 Truly, if the river is overflowing, it gives him no cause for fear; he has no sense of danger, even if Jordan is rushing against his mouth.
Even if the river is in flood, it is not concerned; it remains calm when the Jordan river surges against it.
24 Will anyone take him when he is on the watch, or put metal teeth through his nose?
No one can catch it while it is watching, or pierce its nose with a noose.
