< Job 40 >

1 And the Lord addressed Job, and said,
Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
2 Will he that contendeth with the Almighty yet find fault? him that reproveth God answer this.
Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct [him]? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
3 Then answered Job the Lord, and said,
Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
4 Behold, I am too vile: what shall I answer thee? my hand do I place on my mouth.
Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
5 Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will not repeat it again.
Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
6 Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the storm-wind, and said,
Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
7 Do but gird up like a mighty man thy loins: I will ask thee, and do thou inform me.
Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
8 Wilt thou indeed annul my decree? wilt thou condemn me, in order that thou mayest appear righteous?
Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
9 But if thou hast an arm like God, or if thou canst thunder loudly like him:
Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
10 Then do deck thyself with excellence and greatness, and clothe thyself in majesty and glory.
Deck thyself now [with] majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.
11 Scatter abroad the ragings of thy wrath, and look on every proud one, and humble him.
Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one [that is] proud, and abase him.
12 Look on every proud one, and bend him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.
Look on every one [that is] proud, [and] bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.
13 Hide them in the dust altogether: bind up their faces in concealment.
Hide them in the dust together; [and] bind their faces in secret.
14 Then will I also myself praise thee, when thy own right hand hath helped thee.
Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.
15 Only behold Behemoth, which I made near thee: grass he eateth like the ox.
Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.
16 Only see, [how great] is his strength in his loins, and his force, in the muscles of his belly.
Lo now, his strength [is] in his loins, and his force [is] in the navel of his belly.
17 He stretcheth out his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his loins are closely wrapped together.
He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
18 His bones are like pipes of brass: his frame is like bars of iron.
His bones [are as] strong pieces of brass; his bones [are] like bars of iron.
19 He is the first in rank of the works of God: he that made him can alone bring his sword near unto him.
He [is] the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach [unto him].
20 But truly the mountains bear for him his food, and all the beasts of the field play there.
Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.
21 Under shady trees he lieth down, in the covert of the reeds, and swamp.
He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.
22 Shady trees cover him as his shadow: willows of the brook encompass him about.
The shady trees cover him [with] their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.
23 Behold, a river sweepeth violently along, but he hasteneth not away: he remaineth quiet, though a Jordan rusheth up to his mouth.
Behold, he drinketh up a river, [and] hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.
24 Can one catch him before his eyes? pierce his nose by means of snares?—
He taketh it with his eyes: [his] nose pierceth through snares.

< Job 40 >