Job 38
1 Then the Lord answered Job out of a whirlwind, and said:
And YHWH answers Job out of the whirlwind and says:
2 Who is this that wrappeth up sentences in unskillful words?
“Who [is] this—darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?
3 Gird up thy loins like a man: I will ask thee, and answer thou me.
Now gird your loins as a man, And I ask you, and you cause Me to know.
4 Where wast thou when I laid up the foundations of the earth? tell me if thou hast understanding.
Where were you when I founded the earth? Declare, if you have known understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
Who placed its measures—if you know? Or who has stretched out a line on it?
6 Upon what are its bases grounded? or who laid the corner stone thereof,
On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who has cast its cornerstone—
7 When the morning stars praised me together, and all the sons of God made a joyful melody?
In the singing together of [the] stars of morning, When all [the] sons of God shout for joy?
8 Who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth as issuing out of the womb:
And He shuts up the sea with doors, In its coming forth, it goes out from the womb.
9 When I made a cloud the garment thereof, and wrapped it in a mist as in swaddling bands?
In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band,
10 I set my bounds around it, and made it bars and doors:
And I measure My statute over it, And place bar and doors,
11 And I said: Hitherto thou shalt come, and shalt go no further, and here thou shalt break thy swelling waves.
And say, To here you come, and no more, And a command is placed On the pride of your billows.
12 Didst thou since thy birth command the morning, and shew the dawning of the day its place?
Have you commanded morning since your days? Do you cause the dawn to know its place?
13 And didst thou hold the extremities of the earth shaking them, and hast thou shaken the ungodly out of it?
To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it,
14 The seal shall be restored as clay, and shall stand as a garment:
It turns itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed.
15 From the wicked their light shall be taken away, and the high arm shall be broken.
And their light is withheld from the wicked, And the arm lifted up is broken.
16 Hast thou entered into the depths of the sea, and walked in the lowest parts of the deep?
Have you come to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Have you walked up and down?
17 Have the gates of death been opened to thee, and hast thou seen the darksome doors?
Were the gates of death revealed to you? And do you see the gates of death-shade?
18 Hast thou considered the breadth of the earth? tell me, if thou knowest all things?
You have understanding, Even to the broad places of earth! Declare—if you have known it all.
19 Where is the way where light dwelleth, and where is the place of darkness:
Where [is] this—the way light dwells? And darkness, where [is] this—its place?
20 That thou mayst bring every thing to its own bounds, and understand the paths of the house thereof.
That you take it to its boundary, And that you understand the paths of its house.
21 Didst thou know then that thou shouldst be born? and didst thou know the number of thy days?
You have known—for then you are born, And the number of your days [are] many!
22 Hast thou entered into the storehouses of the snow, or has thou beheld the treasures of the hail:
Have you come to the treasure of snow? Indeed, do you see the treasures of hail,
23 Which I have prepared for the time of the enemy, against the day of battle and war?
That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle?
24 By what way is the light spread, and heat divided upon the earth?
Where [is] this, the way light is apportioned? It scatters an east wind over the earth.
25 Who gave a course to violent showers, or a way for noisy thunder:
Who has divided a conduit for the flood? And a way for the lightning of the voices?
26 That it should rain on the earth without man in the wilderness, where no mortal dwelleth:
To cause [it] to rain on a land [with] no man, A wilderness [with] no man in it.
27 That it should fill the desert and desolate land, and should bring forth green grass?
To satisfy a desolate and ruined place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass?
28 Who is the father of rain? or who begot the drops of dew?
Does the rain have a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 Out of whose womb came the ice; and the frost from heaven who hath gendered it?
From whose belly came forth the ice? And the hoarfrost of the heavens, Who has begotten it?
30 The waters are hardened like a stone, and the surface of the deep is congealed.
Waters are hidden as a stone, And the face of the deep is captured.
31 Shalt thou be able to join together the shining stars the Pleiades, or canst thou stop the turning about of Arcturus?
Do you bind the chains of the Pleiades? Or do you open the cords of Orion?
32 Canst thou bring forth the day star in its time, and make the evening star to rise upon the children of the earth?
Do you bring out the twelve signs in [their] season? And do you comfort the Great Bear over her sons?
33 Dost thou know the order of heaven, and canst thou set down the reason thereof on the earth?
Have you known the statutes of the heavens? Or do you appoint Its dominion in the earth?
34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that an abundance of waters may cover thee?
Do you lift up your voice to the cloud, And abundance of water covers you?
35 Canst thou send lightnings, and will they go, and will they return and say to thee: Here we are?
Do you send out lightnings, and they go And say to you, Behold us?
36 Who hath put wisdom in the heart of man? or who gave the cock understanding?
Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the covered part?
37 Who can declare the order of the heavens, or who can make the harmony of heaven to sleep?
Who numbers the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who causes to lie down,
38 When was the dust poured on the earth, and the clods fastened together?
In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together?
39 Wilt thou take the prey for the lioness, and satisfy the appetite of her whelps,
Do you hunt prey for a lion? And fulfill the desire of young lions?
40 When they couch in the dens and lie in wait in holes?
When they bow down in dens—Abide in a thicket for a covert?
41 Who provideth food for the raven, when her young ones cry to God, wandering about, because they have no meat?
Who prepares for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry to God? They wander without food.”
