Job 38

1 Then spake Jehovah to Job out of the whirlwind, and said:

And YHWH answers Job out of the whirlwind and says:

2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

“Who [is] this—darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?

3 Gird up thy loins like a man! I will ask thee, and answer thou me!

Now gird your loins as a man, And I ask you, and you cause Me to know.

4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding!

Where were you when I founded the earth? Declare, if you have known understanding.

5 Who fixed its dimensions, that thou shouldst know it! Or who stretched out the line upon it?

Who placed its measures—if you know? Or who has stretched out a line on it?

6 Upon what were its foundations fixed? And who laid its corner-stone,

On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who has cast its cornerstone—

7 When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

In the singing together of [the] stars of morning, When all [the] sons of God shout for joy?

8 And who shut up the sea with doors, When it burst forth as from the womb?

And He shuts up the sea with doors, In its coming forth, it goes out from the womb.

9 When I made the clouds its mantle, And thick darkness its swaddling-band;

In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band,

10 When I appointed for it my bound, And fixed for it bars and doors;

And I measure My statute over it, And place bar and doors,

11 And said, Thus far shalt thou come, and no farther, And here shall thy proud waves be stayed!

And say, To here you come, and no more, And a command is placed On the pride of your billows.

12 Hast thou, in thy life, given charge to the morning, Or caused the day-spring to know its place,

Have you commanded morning since your days? Do you cause the dawn to know its place?

13 That it should lay hold of the ends of the earth, And shake the wicked out of it?

To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it,

14 It is changed as clay by the seal; And all things stand forth as in rich apparel.

It turns itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed.

15 But from the wicked their light is withheld, And the high-raised arm is broken.

And their light is withheld from the wicked, And the arm lifted up is broken.

16 Hast thou visited the springs of the sea, And walked through the recesses of the deep?

Have you come to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Have you walked up and down?

17 Have the gates of death been disclosed to thee, And hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?

Were the gates of death revealed to you? And do you see the gates of death-shade?

18 Hast thou surveyed the breadth of the earth? Declare, if thou knowest it all!

You have understanding, Even to the broad places of earth! Declare—if you have known it all.

19 Where is the way to the abode of light? And darkness—where is its dwelling-place?

Where [is] this—the way light dwells? And darkness, where [is] this—its place?

20 That thou shouldst lead it to its boundary, And that thou shouldst know the paths to its mansion!

That you take it to its boundary, And that you understand the paths of its house.

21 Surely thou knowest; for thou wast then born! And the number of thy years is great!

You have known—for then you are born, And the number of your days [are] many!

22 Hast thou visited the storehouses of the snow, Or seen the treasuries of the hail,

Have you come to the treasure of snow? Indeed, do you see the treasures of hail,

23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, —Against the day of battle and war?

That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle?

24 What is the way to where light is distributed, And the east wind spread abroad upon the earth?

Where [is] this, the way light is apportioned? It scatters an east wind over the earth.

25 Who hath prepared channels for the rain, And a path for the thunder-flash,

Who has divided a conduit for the flood? And a way for the lightning of the voices?

26 To give rain to the land without an inhabitant, To the wilderness wherein is no man;

To cause [it] to rain on a land [with] no man, A wilderness [with] no man in it.

27 To satisfy the desolate and waste ground, And cause the tender herb to spring forth?

To satisfy a desolate and ruined place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass?

28 Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of the dew?

Does the rain have a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?

29 Out of whose womb came the ice? And who hath gendered the hoar-frost of heaven?

From whose belly came forth the ice? And the hoarfrost of the heavens, Who has begotten it?

30 The waters are hid as under stone, And the face of the deep becometh solid.

Waters are hidden as a stone, And the face of the deep is captured.

31 Canst thou fasten the bands of the Pleiades, Or loosen the chains of Orion?

Do you bind the chains of the Pleiades? Or do you open the cords of Orion?

32 Canst thou lead forth the Signs in their season, Or guide the Bear with her sons?

Do you bring out the twelve signs in [their] season? And do you comfort the Great Bear over her sons?

33 Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Hast thou appointed their dominion over the earth?

Have you known the statutes of the heavens? Or do you appoint Its dominion in the earth?

34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, So that abundance of waters will cover thee?

Do you lift up your voice to the cloud, And abundance of water covers you?

35 Canst thou send forth lightnings, so that they will go, And say to thee, “Here we are”?

Do you send out lightnings, and they go And say to you, Behold us?

36 Who hath put understanding in the reins, And given intelligence to the mind?

Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the covered part?

37 Who numbereth the clouds in wisdom? And who poureth out the bottles of heaven,

Who numbers the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who causes to lie down,

38 When the dust floweth into a molten mass, And the clods cleave fast together?

In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together?

39 Canst thou hunt prey for the lioness, Or satisfy the hunger of the young lions,

Do you hunt prey for a lion? And fulfill the desire of young lions?

40 When they couch in their dens, And lie in wait in the thicket?

When they bow down in dens—Abide in a thicket for a covert?

41 Who provideth for the raven his food, When his young ones cry unto God, While they wander about without food?

Who prepares for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry to God? They wander without food.”