Job 38
1 Then answered the Lord vnto Iob out of the whirle winde, and said,
Then Yahweh answered Job out of the whirlwind,
2 Who is this that darkeneth the counsell by wordes without knowledge?
“Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Girde vp nowe thy loynes like a man: I will demande of thee and declare thou vnto me.
Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you 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 foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding.
5 Who hath layde the measures thereof, if thou knowest, or who hath stretched the line ouer it:
Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof set: or who layed the corner stone thereof:
What were its foundations fastened on? Or 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:
“Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke 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 garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness,
10 When I stablished my commandement vpon it, and set barres and doores,
marked out for it my bound, set bars and doors,
11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no farther, and here shall it stay thy proude waues.
and said, ‘You may come here, but no further. Your proud waves shall be stopped here’?
12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy dayes? hast thou caused the morning to knowe his place,
“Have you commanded the morning in your days, and 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?
that it might take hold of the ends 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.
It is changed as clay under the seal, and presented as a garment.
15 And from the wicked their light shall be taken away, and the hie arme shalbe broken.
From the wicked, their light is withheld. The high arm is broken.
16 Hast thou entred into the bottomes of the sea? or hast thou walked to seeke out the depth?
“Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses 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? Or 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 comprehended the earth in its width? Declare, if you know it all.
19 Where is the way where light dwelleth? and where is the place of darkenesse,
“What is the way to the dwelling 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?
that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house?
21 Knewest thou it, because thou wast then borne, and because the nomber of thy dayes is great?
Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!
22 Hast thou entred into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seene the treasures of ye haile,
Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
23 Which I haue hid against the time of trouble, against the day of warre and battell?
which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24 By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the East winde vpon the earth?
By what way is the lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth?
25 Who hath deuided the spowtes for the raine? or the way for the lightning of ye thunders,
Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunderstorm,
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 a land where there is no man, on the wilderness, in which there is no man,
27 To fulfil the wilde and waste place, and to cause the bud of the herbe to spring forth?
to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, to cause the tender grass to grow?
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?
Whose womb did the ice come out of? Who has given birth to the gray frost of the sky?
30 The waters are hid as with a stone: and the face of the depth is frosen.
The waters become hard like stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen.
31 Canst thou restraine the sweete influences of the Pleiades? or loose the bandes of Orion?
“Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loosen 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 out in their season? Or can you guide the Bear with her cubs?
33 Knowest thou the course of heauen, or canst thou set the rule thereof in the earth?
Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth?
34 Canst thou lift vp thy voice to the cloudes that the aboundance of water may couer thee?
“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters 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 lightnings, that they may go? Do they report 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 inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind?
37 Who can nomber cloudes by wisedome? or who can cause to cease the bottels of heaue,
Who can count the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the containers of the sky,
38 When the earth groweth into hardnesse, and the clottes are fast together?
when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods of earth stick together?
39 Wilt thou hunt the pray for the lyon? or fill the appetite of the lyons whelpes,
“Can you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they couch in their places, and remaine in the couert to lye in waite?
when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket?
41 Who prepareth for the rauen his meate, when his birdes crie vnto God, wandering for lacke of meate?
Who provides for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food?
