Job 38
1 And Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,
2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
“Who is this who questions my wisdom by talking so ignorantly?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; and I will demand of thee, and inform thou me.
Prepare yourself, be strong, for I am going to question you, and you must answer me.
4 Where wast thou when I founded the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.
Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have such knowledge!
5 Who set the measures thereof — if thou knowest? or who stretched a line upon it?
Who decided its dimensions? Don't you know? Who stretched out a measuring line?
6 Whereupon were the foundations thereof sunken? or who laid its corner-stone,
What do its foundations rest upon? Who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
when the stars of the morning sang together and all the angels shouted for joy.
8 And who shut up the sea with doors, when it burst forth, issuing out of the womb?
Who laid down the boundaries of the sea when it was born?
9 When I made the cloud its garment, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it;
Who clothed it with clouds, and wrapped it in a blanket of deep darkness?
10 When I cut out for it my boundary, and set bars and doors,
I set its limits, marking its borders.
11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come and no further, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
I said, ‘You may come here, but no farther. Here is where your proud waves stop.’
12 Hast thou since thy days commanded the morning? hast thou caused the dawn to know its place,
During your lifetime, have you ever ordered the morning to begin?
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and the wicked might be shaken out of it?
Have you ever told the dawn where to appear that it might take hold of the corners of the earth and shake the wicked out?
14 It is changed like the signet-clay; and [all things] stand forth as in a garment:
The earth is changed like clay under a seal; its features stand out like a crumpled garment.
15 And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the uplifted arm is broken.
The ‘light’ of the wicked is taken away from them; their acts of violence are stopped.
16 Hast thou entered as far as the springs of the sea? and hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have you entered the sources of the sea? Have you explored their hidden depths?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee? and hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?
Have you been shown where the gates of death are? Have you seen the gates of utter darkness?
18 Hath thine understanding compassed the breadths of the earth? Declare if thou knowest it all.
Do you know how far the earth extends? Tell me if you know all this!
19 Where is the way to where light dwelleth? and the darkness, where is its place,
In which direction does light live? Where does darkness dwell?
20 That thou shouldest take it to its bound, and that thou shouldest know the paths to its house?
Can you take them home? Do you know the way to where they live?
21 Thou knowest, for thou wast then born, and the number of thy days is great!
Of course you know, because you were already born then! You've lived so long!
22 Hast thou entered into the storehouses of the snow, and hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail,
Have you been to where the snow is kept? Have you seen where the hail is held?
23 Which I have reserved for the time of distress, for the day of battle and war?
I have stored them up for the time 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?
Do you know the way to where light comes from, or to where the east wind blows 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 rain to flow? Who creates 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;
Who brings rain to an uninhabited land, to a desert where nobody lives,
27 To satisfy the desolate and waste [ground], and to cause the sprout of the grass to spring forth?
to water a parched wasteland to make the green grass grow?
28 Hath the rain a father? or who begetteth the drops of dew?
Does the rain have a father? Who was the father of the dewdrops?
29 Out of whose womb cometh the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who bringeth it forth?
Who was the mother of ice? Does the frost of the air have a mother?
30 When the waters lie hidden as in stone, and the face of the deep holdeth fast together.
Water turns into rock-hard ice; its surface freezes solid.
31 Canst thou fasten the bands of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?
Can you tie together the stars of the Pleiades? Can you loosen the belt of the Orion constellation?
32 Dost thou bring forth the constellations each in its season? or dost thou guide the Bear with her sons?
Can you guide the stars of Mazzaroth at the right time? Can you direct the Great Bear constellation and its other stars?
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 apply them to the earth?
34 Dost thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that floods of waters may cover thee?
Can you shout to the clouds and command them to pour rain down on you?
35 Dost thou send forth lightnings that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?
Can you send out bolts of lightning and direct them, so that they can answer you saying, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the mind?
Who has placed wisdom inside people? Who has given understanding to the mind?
37 Who numbereth the clouds with wisdom? or who poureth out the bottles of the heavens,
Who is clever enough to count the clouds? Who can turn heaven's water jars on their sides
38 When the dust runneth as into a molten mass, and the clods cleave fast together?
when the dust has baked into a solid mass?
39 Dost thou hunt the prey for the lioness, and dost thou satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
Can you hunt prey for the lion? Can you feed the lion cubs
40 When they crouch in [their] dens, [and] abide in the thicket to lie in wait?
as they crouch down in their dens and lie in wait in the bushes?
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, weak from starvation?
