Job 38
1 And YHWH answers Job out of the whirlwind and says:
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2 “Who [is] this—darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?
Who [is] this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Now gird your loins as a man, And I ask you, and you cause Me to know.
Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
4 Where were you when I founded the earth? Declare, if you have known understanding.
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who placed its measures—if you know? Or who has stretched out a line on it?
Who hath laid the measures of it, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who has cast its cornerstone—
Upon what are the foundations of it fastened? or who laid its corner stone;
7 In the singing together of [the] stars of morning, When all [the] sons of God shout for joy?
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 And He shuts up the sea with doors, In its coming forth, it goes out from the womb.
Or [who] shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth, [as if] it had issued out of the womb?
9 In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band,
When I made a cloud its garment, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it,
10 And I measure My statute over it, And place bar and doors,
And broke up for it my decreed [place], and set bars and doors,
11 And say, To here you come, and no more, And a command is placed On the pride of your billows.
And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed.
12 Have you commanded morning since your days? Do you cause the dawn to know its place?
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; [and] caused the day-spring to know its place;
13 To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it,
That it might take hold of the ends of earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14 It turns itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed.
It is turned as clay [to] the seal; and they stand as a garment.
15 And their light is withheld from the wicked, And the arm lifted up is broken.
And from the wicked their light is withheld, and the high arm shall be broken.
16 Have you come to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Have you walked up and down?
Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
17 Were the gates of death revealed to you? And do you see the gates of death-shade?
Have the gates of death been opened to thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shades of death?
18 You have understanding, Even to the broad places of earth! Declare—if you have known it all.
Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.
19 Where [is] this—the way light dwells? And darkness, where [is] this—its place?
Where [is] the way [where] light dwelleth? and [as for] darkness, where [is] its place,
20 That you take it to its boundary, And that you understand the paths of its house.
That thou shouldest take it to its bound, and that thou shouldest know the paths [to] its house?
21 You have known—for then you are born, And the number of your days [are] many!
Knowest thou [it], because thou wast then born? or [because] the number of thy days [is] great?
22 Have you come to the treasure of snow? Indeed, do you see the treasures of hail,
Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
23 That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle?
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24 Where [is] this, the way light is apportioned? It scatters an east wind over the earth.
By what way is the light parted, [which] scattereth the east wind upon the earth?
25 Who has divided a conduit for the flood? And a way for the lightning of the voices?
Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
26 To cause [it] to rain on a land [with] no man, A wilderness [with] no man in it.
To cause it to rain on the earth, [where] no man [is]; [on] the wilderness in which [there is] no man;
27 To satisfy a desolate and ruined place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass?
To satisfy the desolate and waste [ground]; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
28 Does the rain have a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of the dew?
29 From whose belly came forth the ice? And the hoarfrost of the heavens, Who has begotten it?
Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
30 Waters are hidden as a stone, And the face of the deep is captured.
The waters are hid as [with] a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
31 Do you bind the chains of the Pleiades? Or do you open the cords of Orion?
Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
32 Do you bring out the twelve signs in [their] season? And do you comfort the Great Bear over her sons?
Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in its season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with its sons?
33 Have you known the statutes of the heavens? Or do you appoint Its dominion in the earth?
Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set its dominion on the earth?
34 Do you lift up your voice to the cloud, And abundance of water covers you?
Canst thou lift thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
35 Do you send out lightnings, and they go And say to you, Behold us?
Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say to thee, Here we [are]?
36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the covered part?
Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?
37 Who numbers the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who causes to lie down,
Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
38 In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together?
When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?
39 Do you hunt prey for a lion? And fulfill the desire of young lions?
Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they bow down in dens—Abide in a thicket for a covert?
When they couch in [their] dens, [and] abide in the covert to lie in wait?
41 Who prepares for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry to God? They wander without food.”
Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry to God, they wander for want of food.
