Job 40
1 God continued speaking to Job.
2 “Are you still going to fight with the Almighty and try to set him straight? Anyone who argues with God must give some answers.”
Will he who is protesting give teaching to the Ruler of all? Let him who has arguments to put forward against God give an answer.
3 Job answered the Lord,
And Job said in answer to the Lord,
4 “Me—I am nothing at all. I have no answers. I put my hand in front of my mouth.
Truly, I am of no value; what answer may I give to you? I will put my hand on my mouth.
5 I have already said far too much and I won't say anything more.”
I have said once, and even twice, what was in my mind, but I will not do so again.
6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,
Then the Lord made answer to Job out of the storm-wind, and said,
7 “Prepare yourself, be strong, for I am going to question you, and you must answer me.
Get your strength together like a man of war: I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.
8 Are you really going to say my decisions are wrong? Are you going to condemn me so you can be right?
Will you even make my right of no value? will you say that I am wrong in order to make clear that you are right?
9 Are you as powerful as I am? Does your voice thunder like mine?
Have you an arm like God? have you a voice of thunder like his?
10 Why don't you dress yourself with majesty and dignity, and clothe yourself with glory and splendor!
Put on the ornaments of your pride; be clothed with glory and power:
11 Let loose your fierce anger. Humble the proud with a glance.
Let your wrath be overflowing; let your eyes see all the sons of pride, and make them low.
12 Bring down the proud with your gaze; tread the wicked underfoot right where they are.
Send destruction on all who are lifted up, pulling down the sinners from their places.
13 Bury them in the dust; lock them away in the grave.
Let them be covered together in the dust; let their faces be dark in the secret place of the underworld.
14 Then I will also agree that your own strength can save you.
Then I will give praise to you, saying that your right hand is able to give you salvation.
15 Consider Behemoth, a creature I made just like I made you. It eats grass like cattle.
See now the Great Beast, whom I made, even as I made you; he takes grass for food, like the ox.
16 Look at its powerful loins, the muscles of its belly.
His strength is in his body, and his force in the muscles of his stomach.
17 It bends its tail like a cedar; its thigh sinews are strong.
His tail is curving like a cedar; the muscles of his legs are joined together.
18 Its bones are like bronze tubes; its limbs like iron rods.
His bones are pipes of brass, his legs are like rods of iron.
19 It is the most important example of what God can do; only the one who made it can approach it with a sword.
He is the chief of the ways of God, made by him for his pleasure.
20 The hills produce food for it, and all the wild animals play there.
He takes the produce of the mountains, where all the beasts of the field are at play.
21 It lies under the lotus; it hides in the reeds of the marsh.
He takes his rest under the trees of the river, and in the pool, under the shade of the water-plants.
22 The lotus covers it with shade; the willow trees of the valley surround it.
He is covered by the branches of the trees; the grasses of the stream are round him.
23 Even if the river is in flood, it is not concerned; it remains calm when the Jordan river surges against it.
Truly, if the river is overflowing, it gives him no cause for fear; he has no sense of danger, even if Jordan is rushing against his mouth.
24 No one can catch it while it is watching, or pierce its nose with a noose.
Will anyone take him when he is on the watch, or put metal teeth through his nose?
