< Job 40 >

1 And Jehovah answered Job and said,
And the Lord God answered Job, and said,
2 Shall he that will contend with the Almighty instruct [him]? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
Will [any one] pervert judgement with the Mighty One? and he that reproves God, let him return it for answer.
3 And Job answered Jehovah and said,
And Job answered and said to the Lord,
4 Behold, I am nought: what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.
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.
5 Once have I spoken, and I will not answer; yea twice, but I will proceed no further.
I have spoken once; but I will not do so a second time.
6 And Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,
And the Lord yet again answered and spoke to Job out of the cloud, [saying],
7 Gird up now thy loins like a man: I will demand of thee, and inform thou me.
Nay, gird up now your loins like a man; and I will ask you, and do you answer me.
8 Wilt thou also annul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me that thou mayest be righteous?
Do not set aside my judgement: and do you think that I have dealt with you in any other way, than that you might appear to be righteous?
9 Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
Hast you an arm like the Lord's? or do you thunder with a voice like his?
10 Deck thyself now with glory and excellency, and clothe thyself with majesty and splendour.
Assume now a lofty bearing and power; and clothe yourself with glory and honour.
11 Cast abroad the ragings of thine anger, and look on every one that is proud, and abase him:
And send forth messengers with wrath; and lay low every haughty one.
12 Look on every one that is proud, bring him low, and tread down the wicked in their place:
Bring down also the proud man; and consume at once the ungodly.
13 Hide them in the dust together; bind their faces in secret.
And hide them together in the earth; and fill their faces with shame.
14 Then will I also praise thee, because thy right hand saveth thee.
[Then] will I confess that your right hand can save [you].
15 See now the behemoth, which I made with thee: he eateth grass as an ox.
But now look at the wild beasts with you; they eat grass like oxen.
16 Behold now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the muscles of his belly.
Behold now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
17 He bendeth his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are woven together.
He sets up his tail like a cypress; and his nerves are wrapped together.
18 His bones are tubes of bronze, his members are like bars of iron.
His sides are sides of brass; and his backbone is [as] cast iron.
19 He is the chief of God's ways: he that made him gave him his sword.
This is the chief of the creation of the Lord; made to be played with by his angels.
20 For the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.
And when he has gone up to a steep mountain, he causes joy to the quadrupeds in the deep.
21 He lieth under lotus-bushes, in the covert of the reed and fen:
He lies under trees of every kind, by the papyrus, and reed, and bulrush.
22 Lotus-bushes cover him with their shade; the willows of the brook surround him.
And the great trees make a shadow over him with their branches, and [so do] the bushes of the field.
23 Lo, the river overfloweth — he startleth not: he is confident though a Jordan break forth against his mouth.
If there should be a flood, he will not perceive it; he trust that Jordan will rush up into his mouth.
24 Shall he be taken in front? will they pierce through [his] nose in the trap?
[Yet one] shall take him in his sight; [one] shall catch [him] with a cord, and pierce his nose.

< Job 40 >