Job 38
1 And Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
“Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; and I will demand of thee, and inform thou me.
Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.
4 Where wast thou when I founded the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who set the measures thereof — if thou knowest? or who stretched a line upon it?
Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 Whereupon were the foundations thereof sunken? or who laid its corner-stone,
On what were its foundations set, or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 And who shut up the sea with doors, when it burst forth, issuing out of the womb?
Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb,
9 When I made the cloud its garment, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it;
when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its blanket,
10 When I cut out for it my boundary, and set bars and doors,
when I fixed its boundaries and set in place its bars and doors,
11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come and no further, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
and I declared: ‘You may come this far, but no farther; here your proud waves must stop’?
12 Hast thou since thy days commanded the morning? hast thou caused the dawn to know its place,
In your days, have you commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place,
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and the wicked might be shaken out of it?
that it might spread to the ends of the earth and shake the wicked out of it?
14 It is changed like the signet-clay; and [all things] stand forth as in a garment:
The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its hills stand out like the folds of a garment.
15 And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the uplifted arm is broken.
Light is withheld from the wicked, and their upraised arm is broken.
16 Hast thou entered as far as the springs of the sea? and hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have you journeyed to the vents of the sea or walked in the trenches of the deep?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee? and hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?
Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?
18 Hath thine understanding compassed the breadths of the earth? Declare if thou knowest it all.
Have you surveyed the extent of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.
19 Where is the way to where light dwelleth? and the darkness, where is its place,
Where is the way to the home of light? Do you know where darkness resides,
20 That thou shouldest take it to its bound, and that thou shouldest know the paths to its house?
so you can lead it back to its border? Do you know the paths to its home?
21 Thou knowest, for thou wast then born, and the number of thy days is great!
Surely you know, for you were already born! And the number of your days is great!
22 Hast thou entered into the storehouses of the snow, and hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail,
Have you entered the storehouses of snow or observed the storehouses of hail,
23 Which I have reserved for the time of distress, for the day of battle and war?
which I hold in reserve for times of trouble, for the day of war and battle?
24 By what way is the light parted, [and] the east wind scattered upon the earth?
In which direction is the lightning dispersed, or the east wind scattered over the earth?
25 Who hath divided a channel for the rain-flood, and a way for the thunder's flash;
Who cuts a channel for the flood or clears a path for the thunderbolt,
26 To cause it to rain on the earth, where no one is; on the wilderness wherein there is not a man;
to bring rain on a barren land, on a desert where no man lives,
27 To satisfy the desolate and waste [ground], and to cause the sprout of the grass to spring forth?
to satisfy the parched wasteland and make it sprout with tender grass?
28 Hath the rain a father? or who begetteth the drops of dew?
Does the rain have a father? Who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 Out of whose womb cometh the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who bringeth it forth?
From whose womb does the ice emerge? Who gives birth to the frost from heaven,
30 When the waters lie hidden as in stone, and the face of the deep holdeth fast together.
when the waters become hard as stone and the surface of the deep is frozen?
31 Canst thou fasten the bands of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?
Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion?
32 Dost thou bring forth the constellations each in its season? or dost thou guide the Bear with her sons?
Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear and her cubs?
33 Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? dost thou determine their rule over the earth?
Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?
34 Dost thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that floods of waters may cover thee?
Can you command the clouds so that a flood of water covers you?
35 Dost thou send forth lightnings that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?
Can you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the mind?
Who has put wisdom in the heart or given understanding to the mind?
37 Who numbereth the clouds with wisdom? or who poureth out the bottles of the heavens,
Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Or who can tilt the water jars of the heavens
38 When the dust runneth as into a molten mass, and the clods cleave fast together?
when the dust hardens into a mass and the clods of earth stick together?
39 Dost thou hunt the prey for the lioness, and dost thou satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
Can you hunt the prey for a lioness or satisfy the hunger of young lions
40 When they crouch in [their] dens, [and] abide in the thicket to lie in wait?
when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait in the thicket?
41 Who provideth for the raven his food, when his young ones cry unto God, [and] they wander for lack of meat?
Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God as they wander about for lack of food?
