Job 38
1 Then answered the Lord vnto Iob out of the whirle winde, and said,
Then Yahweh called to Job out of a fierce storm and said,
2 Who is this that darkeneth the counsell by wordes without knowledge?
“Who is this who brings darkness to plans by means of words without knowledge?
3 Girde vp nowe thy loynes like a man: I will demande of thee and declare thou vnto me.
Now gird up your loins like a man for I will ask you questions, and you must answer me.
4 Where wast thou when I layd the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast vnderstanding,
Where were you when I laid the earth's foundations? Tell me, if you have so much understanding.
5 Who hath layde the measures thereof, if thou knowest, or who hath stretched the line ouer it:
Who determined its dimensions? Tell me, if you know. Who stretched the measuring line over it?
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof set: or who layed the corner stone thereof:
On what were its foundations laid? Who laid its cornerstone
7 When the starres of the morning praysed me together, and all the children of God reioyced:
when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 Or who hath shut vp the Sea with doores, when it yssued and came foorth as out of the wombe:
Who shut up the sea with doors when it burst out, as if it had come out of the womb—
9 When I made the cloudes as a couering thereof, and darkenesse as the swadeling bands thereof:
when I made clouds its clothing, and thick darkness its swaddling bands?
10 When I stablished my commandement vpon it, and set barres and doores,
That was when I marked out for the sea my boundary, and when I placed its bars and doors,
11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no farther, and here shall it stay thy proude waues.
and when I said to it, 'You may come this far, but no farther; here is where I will put a boundary to the pride of your waves.'
12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy dayes? hast thou caused the morning to knowe his place,
Have you given orders to the morning, or caused the dawn to know its place,
13 That it might take hold of the corners of the earth, and that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
so that it might take hold of the edges of the earth and shake the wicked out of it?
14 It is turned as clay to facion, and all stand vp as a garment.
The earth is changed in appearance like clay changes under a seal; all things on it stand out clearly like the folds of a piece of clothing.
15 And from the wicked their light shall be taken away, and the hie arme shalbe broken.
From wicked people their 'light' is taken away; their uplifted arm is broken.
16 Hast thou entred into the bottomes of the sea? or hast thou walked to seeke out the depth?
Have you gone to the sources of the waters of the sea? Have you walked in the lowest parts of the deep?
17 Haue the gates of death bene opened vnto thee? or hast thou seene the gates of the shadowe of death?
Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?
18 Hast thou perceiued the breadth of the earth? tell if thou knowest all this.
Have you understood the earth in its expanse? Tell me, if you know it all.
19 Where is the way where light dwelleth? and where is the place of darkenesse,
Where is the way to the resting place of light— as for darkness, where is its place?
20 That thou shouldest receiue it in the boundes thereof, and that thou shouldest knowe the paths to the house thereof?
Can you lead light and darkness to their places of work? Can you find the way back to their houses for them?
21 Knewest thou it, because thou wast then borne, and because the nomber of thy dayes is great?
Undoubtedly you know, for you were born then; the number of your days is so large!
22 Hast thou entred into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seene the treasures of ye haile,
Have you entered the storehouses for the snow, or have you seen the storehouses for the hail,
23 Which I haue hid against the time of trouble, against the day of warre and battell?
these things that I have kept for times of trouble, for days of battle and war?
24 By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the East winde vpon the earth?
What is the path to where the lightning bolts are distributed or to where the winds are scattered from the east over the earth?
25 Who hath deuided the spowtes for the raine? or the way for the lightning of ye thunders,
Who has created the channels for the floods of rain, or who has made a path for the thunder,
26 To cause it to raine on the earth where no man is, and in the wildernes where there is no man?
to cause it to rain on lands where no person exists, and on the wilderness, in which there is no one,
27 To fulfil the wilde and waste place, and to cause the bud of the herbe to spring forth?
to satisfy the devastated and desolate places, and to make the ground sprout with grass?
28 Who is the father of the rayne? or who hath begotten the droppes of the dewe?
Does the rain have a father, or, who fathers the drops of dew?
29 Out of whose wombe came the yee? who hath ingendred the frost of the heauen?
Out of whose womb did the ice come? Who bore the white frost out of the sky?
30 The waters are hid as with a stone: and the face of the depth is frosen.
The waters hide themselves and become like stone; the surface of the deep becomes frozen.
31 Canst thou restraine the sweete influences of the Pleiades? or loose the bandes of Orion?
Can you fasten chains on the Pleiades, or undo the cords of Orion?
32 Canst thou bring foorth Mazzaroth in their time? canst thou also guide Arcturus with his sonnes?
Can you lead the constellations to appear at their proper times? Can you guide the Bear with its children?
33 Knowest thou the course of heauen, or canst thou set the rule thereof in the earth?
Do you know the regulations of the sky? Could you set in place the sky's rule over the earth?
34 Canst thou lift vp thy voice to the cloudes that the aboundance of water may couer thee?
Can you raise your voice up to the clouds, so that an abundance of rainwater may cover you?
35 Canst thou sende the lightenings that they may walke, and say vnto thee, Loe, heere we are?
Can you send out bolts of lightning that they may go out, that they say to you, 'Here we are'?
36 Who hath put wisedome in the reines? or who hath giuen the heart vnderstanding?
Who has put wisdom in the clouds or has given understanding to the mists?
37 Who can nomber cloudes by wisedome? or who can cause to cease the bottels of heaue,
Who can number the clouds by his skill? Who can pour out the water skins of the sky
38 When the earth groweth into hardnesse, and the clottes are fast together?
when the dust runs into a hard mass and the clods of earth clump tightly together?
39 Wilt thou hunt the pray for the lyon? or fill the appetite of the lyons whelpes,
Can you hunt down a victim for a lioness or satisfy the appetite of her young lion cubs
40 When they couch in their places, and remaine in the couert to lye in waite?
when they are crouching in their dens and sheltering in hiding to lie in wait?
41 Who prepareth for the rauen his meate, when his birdes crie vnto God, wandering for lacke of meate?
Who provides victims for the ravens when their young ones cry out to God and stagger about for lack of food?
