Job 38
1 Then YHWH answered Job out of the whirlwind,
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,
2 "Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
“Who is this who questions my wisdom by talking so ignorantly?
3 Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you answer me.
Prepare yourself, be strong, for I am going to question you, and you must answer me.
4 "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding.
Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have such knowledge!
5 Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?
Who decided its dimensions? Don't you know? Who stretched out a measuring line?
6 Whereupon were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone,
What do its foundations rest upon? Who laid its cornerstone,
7 when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
when the stars of the morning sang together and all the angels shouted for joy.
8 "Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth from the womb,
Who laid down the boundaries of the sea when it was born?
9 when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness,
Who clothed it with clouds, and wrapped it in a blanket of deep darkness?
10 marked out for it my bound, set bars and doors,
I set its limits, marking its borders.
11 and said, 'Here you may come, but no further. Here your proud waves shall be stayed?'
I said, ‘You may come here, but no farther. Here is where your proud waves stop.’
12 "Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place;
During your lifetime, have you ever ordered the morning to begin?
13 that it might take hold of the farthest parts of the earth, and shake the wicked out of it?
Have you ever told the dawn where to appear that it might take hold of the corners of the earth and shake the wicked out?
14 It is changed as clay under the seal, and stands forth as a garment.
The earth is changed like clay under a seal; its features stand out like a crumpled garment.
15 From the wicked, their light is withheld. The high arm is broken.
The ‘light’ of the wicked is taken away from them; their acts of violence are stopped.
16 "Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have you entered the sources of the sea? Have you explored their hidden depths?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?
Have you been shown where the gates of death are? Have you seen the gates of utter darkness?
18 Have you comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if you know it all.
Do you know how far the earth extends? Tell me if you know all this!
19 "What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is its place,
In which direction does light live? Where does darkness dwell?
20 that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house?
Can you take them home? Do you know the way to where they live?
21 Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great.
Of course you know, because you were already born then! You've lived so long!
22 Have you entered the treasuries of the snow, or have you seen the treasures of the hail,
Have you been to where the snow is kept? Have you seen where the hail is held?
23 which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
I have stored them up for the time of trouble, for the day of war and battle.
24 By what way is the lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth?
Do you know the way to where light comes from, or to where the east wind blows over the earth?
25 Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunderstorm;
Who cuts a channel for the rain to flow? Who creates a path for the thunderbolt?
26 To cause it to rain on a land where no man is; on the wilderness, in which there is no man;
Who brings rain to an uninhabited land, to a desert where nobody lives,
27 to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, to cause the tender grass to spring forth?
to water a parched wasteland to make the green grass grow?
28 Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew?
Does the rain have a father? Who was the father of the dewdrops?
29 Out of whose womb came the ice? The gray frost of the sky, who has given birth to it?
Who was the mother of ice? Does the frost of the air have a mother?
30 The waters become hard like stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen.
Water turns into rock-hard ice; its surface freezes solid.
31 "Can you fasten the chains of Kimah, or loosen the cords of Kesil?
Can you tie together the stars of the Pleiades? Can you loosen the belt of the Orion constellation?
32 Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? Or can you lead Aysh with her children?
Can you guide the stars of Mazzaroth at the right time? Can you direct the Great Bear constellation and its other stars?
33 Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth?
Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you apply them to the earth?
34 "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover you?
Can you shout to the clouds and command them to pour rain down on you?
35 Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, 'Here we are?'
Can you send out bolts of lightning and direct them, so that they can answer you saying, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind?
Who has placed wisdom inside people? Who has given understanding to the mind?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of the sky,
Who is clever enough to count the clouds? Who can turn heaven's water jars on their sides
38 when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods of earth stick together?
when the dust has baked into a solid mass?
39 "Can you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
Can you hunt prey for the lion? Can you feed the lion cubs
40 when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket?
as they crouch down in their dens and lie in wait in the bushes?
41 Who provides for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food?
Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God, weak from starvation?
