Job 40
1 And the Lord God answered Job, and said,
2 Will [any one] pervert judgment with the Mighty One? and he that reproves God, let him return it for answer.
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.
3 And Job answered and said to the Lord,
And Job said in answer to the Lord,
4 Why do I yet plead? being rebuked even while reproving the Lord: hearing such things, whereas I am nothing: and what shall I answer to these [arguments]? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.
Truly, I am of no value; what answer may I give to you? I will put my hand on my mouth.
5 I have spoken once; but I will not do so a second time.
I have said once, and even twice, what was in my mind, but I will not do so again.
6 And the Lord yet again answered and spoke to Job out of the cloud, [saying],
Then the Lord made answer to Job out of the storm-wind, and said,
7 Nay, gird up now thy loins like a man; and I will ask thee, and do thou answer me.
Get your strength together like a man of war: I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.
8 Do not set aside my judgment: and dost thou think that I have dealt with thee in any other way, than that thou mightest appear to be righteous?
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?
9 Hast thou an arm like the Lord's? or dost thou thunder with a voice like his?
Have you an arm like God? have you a voice of thunder like his?
10 Assume now a lofty bearing and power; and clothe thyself with glory and honour.
Put on the ornaments of your pride; be clothed with glory and power:
11 And send forth messengers with wrath; and lay low every haughty one.
Let your wrath be overflowing; let your eyes see all the sons of pride, and make them low.
12 Bring down also the proud man; and consume at once the ungodly.
Send destruction on all who are lifted up, pulling down the sinners from their places.
13 And hide them together in the earth; and fill their faces with shame.
Let them be covered together in the dust; let their faces be dark in the secret place of the underworld.
14 [Then] will I confess that thy right hand can save [thee].
Then I will give praise to you, saying that your right hand is able to give you salvation.
15 But now look at the wild beasts with thee; they eat grass like oxen.
See now the Great Beast, whom I made, even as I made you; he takes grass for food, like the ox.
16 Behold now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
His strength is in his body, and his force in the muscles of his stomach.
17 He sets up his tail like a cypress; and his nerves are wrapped together.
His tail is curving like a cedar; the muscles of his legs are joined together.
18 His sides are sides of brass; and his backbone is [as] cast iron.
His bones are pipes of brass, his legs are like rods of iron.
19 This is the chief of the creation of the Lord; made to be played with by his angels.
He is the chief of the ways of God, made by him for his pleasure.
20 And when he has gone up to a steep mountain, he causes joy to the quadrupeds in the deep.
He takes the produce of the mountains, where all the beasts of the field are at play.
21 He lies under trees of every kind, by the papyrus, and reed, and bulrush.
He takes his rest under the trees of the river, and in the pool, under the shade of the water-plants.
22 And the great trees make a shadow over him with their branches, and [so do] the bushes of the field.
He is covered by the branches of the trees; the grasses of the stream are round him.
23 If there should be a flood, he will not perceive it; he trust that Jordan will rush up into his mouth.
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.
24 [Yet one] shall take him in his sight; [one] shall catch [him] with a cord, and pierce his nose.
Will anyone take him when he is on the watch, or put metal teeth through his nose?
