Job 38
1 And after Elius had ceased from speaking, the Lord spoke to Job through the whirlwind and clouds, [saying],
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
2 Who is this that hides counsel from me, and confines words in [his] heart, and thinks to conceal [them] from me?
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Gird your loins like a man; and I will ask you, and do you answer me.
Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto Me.
4 Where was you when I founded the earth? tell me now, if you have knowledge,
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast the understanding.
5 who set the measures of it, if you know? or who stretched a line upon it?
Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what are its rings fastened? and who is he that laid the corner-stone upon it?
Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner-stone thereof,
7 When the stars were made, all my angels praised me with a loud voice.
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 And I shut up the sea with gates, when it rushed out, coming forth out its mother's womb.
Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth, and issued out of the womb;
9 And I made a cloud its clothing, and swathed it in mist.
When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
10 And I set bounds to it, surrounding it with bars and gates.
And prescribed for it My decree, and set bars and doors,
11 And I said to it, Hitherto shall you come, but you shall not go beyond, but your waves shall be confined within you.
And said: 'Thus far shalt thou come, but no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed'?
12 Or did I order the morning light in your time; and [did] the morning star [then first] see his appointed place;
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began, and caused the dayspring to know its place;
13 to lay hold of the extremities of the earth, to cast out the ungodly out of it?
That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it?
14 Or did you take clay of the ground, and form a living creature, and set it with the power of speech upon the earth?
It is changed as clay under the seal; and they stand as a garment.
15 And have you removed light from the ungodly, and crushed the arm of the proud?
But from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm is broken.
16 Or have you gone to the source of the sea, and walked in the tracks of the deep?
Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 And do the gates of death open to you for fear; and did the porters of hell quake when they saw you? (questioned)
Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee? Or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?
18 And have you been instructed in the breadth of the [whole earth] under heaven? tell me now, what is the extent of it?
Hast thou surveyed unto the breadths of the earth? Declare, if thou knowest it all.
19 And in what kind of a land does the light dwell? and of what kind is the place of darkness?
Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and as for darkness, where is the place thereof;
20 If you could bring me to their [utmost] boundaries, and if also you know their paths;
That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?
21 I know then that you were born at that time, and the number of your years is great.
Thou knowest it, for thou wast then born, and the number of thy days is great!
22 But have you gone to the treasures of snow? and have you seen the treasures of hail?
Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow, or hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail,
23 And is there a store [of them], for you against the time of [your] enemies, for the day of wars and battle?
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24 And whence proceeds the frost? or [whence] is the south wind dispersed over the [whole world] under heaven?
By what way is the light parted, or the east wind scattered upon the earth?
25 And who prepared a course for the violent rain, and a way for the thunders;
Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood, or a way for the lightning of the thunder;
26 to rain upon the land where [there is] no man, the wilderness, where there is not a man in it; so as to feed the untrodden and uninhabited [land],
To cause it to rain on a land where no man is, on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
27 and cause it to send forth a crop of green herbs?
To satisfy the desolate and waste ground, and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
28 Who is the rain's father? and who has generated the drops of dew?
Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
29 And out of whose womb comes the ice? and who has produced the frost in the sky,
Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoar-frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
30 which descends like flowing water? who has terrified the face of the ungodly?
The waters are congealed like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
31 And do you understand the band of Pleias, and have you opened the barrier of Orion?
Canst thou bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
32 Or will you reveal Mazuroth in his season, and the evening star with his rays? Will you guide them?
Canst thou lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? Or canst thou guide the Bear with her sons?
33 And know you the changes of heaven, or the events which take place together under heaven?
Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth?
34 And will you call a cloud with your voice, and will it obey you with a violent shower of much rain?
Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
35 And will you send lightnings, and they shall go? and shall they say to you, What is [your pleasure]?
Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee: 'Here we are'?
36 And who has given to women skill in weaving, or knowledge of embroidery?
Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who hath given understanding to the mind?
37 And who is he that numbers the clouds in wisdom, and has bowed the heaven [down] to the earth?
Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
38 For it is spread out as dusty earth, and I have cemented it as one hewn stone to another.
When the dust runneth into a mass, and the clods cleave fast together?
39 And will you hunt a prey for the lions? and satisfy the desires of the serpents?
Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lioness? Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 For they fear in their lairs, and lying in wait couch in the woods.
When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
41 And who has prepared food for the raven? for its young ones wander and cry to the Lord, in search of food.
Who provideth for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry unto God, and wander for lack of food?
