Job 38
1 Then spake Jehovah to Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
| וַיַּֽעַן־יְהוָ֣ה אֶת־אִ֭יּוֹב מִ֥ן ׀ הַסְּעָרָ֗ה וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ |
2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
| מִ֤י זֶ֨ה ׀ מַחְשִׁ֖יךְ עֵצָ֥ה בְמִלִּ֗ין בְּֽלִי־דָֽעַת׃ |
3 Gird up thy loins like a man! I will ask thee, and answer thou me!
| אֱזָר־נָ֣א כְגֶ֣בֶר חֲלָצֶ֑יךָ וְ֝אֶשְׁאָלְךָ֗ וְהוֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃ |
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding!
| אֵיפֹ֣ה הָ֭יִיתָ בְּיָסְדִי־אָ֑רֶץ הַ֝גֵּ֗ד אִם־יָדַ֥עְתָּ בִינָֽה׃ |
5 Who fixed its dimensions, that thou shouldst know it! Or who stretched out the line upon it?
| מִי־שָׂ֣ם מְ֭מַדֶּיהָ כִּ֣י תֵדָ֑ע א֤וֹ מִֽי־נָטָ֖ה עָלֶ֣יהָ קָּֽו׃ |
6 Upon what were its foundations fixed? And who laid its corner-stone,
| עַל־מָ֭ה אֲדָנֶ֣יהָ הָטְבָּ֑עוּ א֥וֹ מִֽי־יָ֝רָ֗ה אֶ֣בֶן פִּנָּתָֽהּ׃ |
7 When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
| בְּרָן־יַ֭חַד כּ֣וֹכְבֵי בֹ֑קֶר וַ֝יָּרִ֗יעוּ כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י אֱלֹהִֽים׃ |
8 And who shut up the sea with doors, When it burst forth as from the womb?
| וַיָּ֣סֶךְ בִּדְלָתַ֣יִם יָ֑ם בְּ֝גִיח֗וֹ מֵרֶ֥חֶם יֵצֵֽא׃ |
9 When I made the clouds its mantle, And thick darkness its swaddling-band;
| בְּשׂוּמִ֣י עָנָ֣ן לְבֻשׁ֑וֹ וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל חֲתֻלָּתֽוֹ׃ |
10 When I appointed for it my bound, And fixed for it bars and doors;
| וָאֶשְׁבֹּ֣ר עָלָ֣יו חֻקִּ֑י וָֽ֝אָשִׂ֗ים בְּרִ֣יחַ וּדְלָתָֽיִם׃ |
11 And said, Thus far shalt thou come, and no farther, And here shall thy proud waves be stayed!
| וָאֹמַ֗ר עַד־פֹּ֣ה תָ֭בוֹא וְלֹ֣א תֹסִ֑יף וּפֹ֥א־יָ֝שִׁ֗ית בִּגְא֥וֹן גַּלֶּֽיךָ׃ |
12 Hast thou, in thy life, given charge to the morning, Or caused the day-spring to know its place,
| הְֽ֭מִיָּמֶיךָ צִוִּ֣יתָ בֹּ֑קֶר יִדַּ֖עְתָּ הַשַּׁ֣חַר מְקֹמֽוֹ׃ |
13 That it should lay hold of the ends of the earth, And shake the wicked out of it?
| לֶ֭אֱחֹז בְּכַנְפ֣וֹת הָאָ֑רֶץ וְיִנָּעֲר֖וּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים מִמֶּֽנָּה׃ |
14 It is changed as clay by the seal; And all things stand forth as in rich apparel.
| תִּ֭תְהַפֵּךְ כְּחֹ֣מֶר חוֹתָ֑ם וְ֝יִֽתְיַצְּב֗וּ כְּמ֣וֹ לְבֽוּשׁ׃ |
15 But from the wicked their light is withheld, And the high-raised arm is broken.
| וְיִמָּנַ֣ע מֵרְשָׁעִ֣ים אוֹרָ֑ם וּזְר֥וֹעַ רָ֝מָ֗ה תִּשָּׁבֵֽר׃ |
16 Hast thou visited the springs of the sea, And walked through the recesses of the deep?
| הֲ֭בָאתָ עַד־נִבְכֵי־יָ֑ם וּבְחֵ֥קֶר תְּ֝ה֗וֹם הִתְהַלָּֽכְתָּ׃ |
17 Have the gates of death been disclosed to thee, And hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?
| הֲנִגְל֣וּ לְ֭ךָ שַׁעֲרֵי־מָ֑וֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵ֖י צַלְמָ֣וֶת תִּרְאֶֽה׃ |
18 Hast thou surveyed the breadth of the earth? Declare, if thou knowest it all!
| הִ֭תְבֹּנַנְתָּ עַד־רַחֲבֵי־אָ֑רֶץ הַ֝גֵּ֗ד אִם־יָדַ֥עְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ׃ |
19 Where is the way to the abode of light? And darkness—where is its dwelling-place?
| אֵי־זֶ֣ה הַ֭דֶּרֶךְ יִשְׁכָּן־א֑וֹר וְ֝חֹ֗שֶׁךְ אֵי־זֶ֥ה מְקֹמֽוֹ׃ |
20 That thou shouldst lead it to its boundary, And that thou shouldst know the paths to its mansion!
| כִּ֣י תִ֭קָּחֶנּוּ אֶל־גְּבוּל֑וֹ וְכִֽי־תָ֝בִ֗ין נְתִיב֥וֹת בֵּיתֽוֹ׃ |
21 Surely thou knowest; for thou wast then born! And the number of thy years is great!
| יָ֭דַעְתָּ כִּי־אָ֣ז תִּוָּלֵ֑ד וּמִסְפַּ֖ר יָמֶ֣יךָ רַבִּֽים׃ |
22 Hast thou visited the storehouses of the snow, Or seen the treasuries of the hail,
| הֲ֭בָאתָ אֶל־אֹצְר֣וֹת שָׁ֑לֶג וְאֹצְר֖וֹת בָּרָ֣ד תִּרְאֶֽה׃ |
23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, —Against the day of battle and war?
| אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׂ֥כְתִּי לְעֶת־צָ֑ר לְי֥וֹם קְ֝רָ֗ב וּמִלְחָמָֽה׃ |
24 What is the way to where light is distributed, And the east wind spread abroad upon the earth?
| אֵי־זֶ֣ה הַ֭דֶּרֶךְ יֵחָ֣לֶק א֑וֹר יָפֵ֖ץ קָדִ֣ים עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ |
25 Who hath prepared channels for the rain, And a path for the thunder-flash,
| מִֽי־פִלַּ֣ג לַשֶּׁ֣טֶף תְּעָלָ֑ה וְ֝דֶ֗רֶךְ לַחֲזִ֥יז קֹלֽוֹת׃ |
26 To give rain to the land without an inhabitant, To the wilderness wherein is no man;
| לְ֭הַמְטִיר עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ לֹא־אִ֑ישׁ מִ֝דְבָּ֗ר לֹא־אָדָ֥ם בּֽוֹ׃ |
27 To satisfy the desolate and waste ground, And cause the tender herb to spring forth?
| לְהַשְׂבִּ֣יעַ שֹׁ֭אָה וּמְשֹׁאָ֑ה וּ֝לְהַצְמִ֗יחַ מֹ֣צָא דֶֽשֶׁא׃ |
28 Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of the dew?
| הֲיֵשׁ־לַמָּטָ֥ר אָ֑ב א֥וֹ מִי־ה֝וֹלִ֗יד אֶגְלֵי־טָֽל׃ |
29 Out of whose womb came the ice? And who hath gendered the hoar-frost of heaven?
| מִבֶּ֣טֶן מִ֭י יָצָ֣א הַקָּ֑רַח וּכְפֹ֥ר שָׁ֝מַיִם מִ֣י יְלָדֽוֹ׃ |
30 The waters are hid as under stone, And the face of the deep becometh solid.
| כָּ֭אֶבֶן מַ֣יִם יִתְחַבָּ֑אוּ וּפְנֵ֥י תְ֝ה֗וֹם יִתְלַכָּֽדוּ׃ |
31 Canst thou fasten the bands of the Pleiades, Or loosen the chains of Orion?
| הַֽ֭תְקַשֵּׁר מַעֲדַנּ֣וֹת כִּימָ֑ה אֽוֹ־מֹשְׁכ֖וֹת כְּסִ֣יל תְּפַתֵּֽחַ׃ |
32 Canst thou lead forth the Signs in their season, Or guide the Bear with her sons?
| הֲתֹצִ֣יא מַזָּר֣וֹת בְּעִתּ֑וֹ וְ֝עַ֗יִשׁ עַל־בָּנֶ֥יהָ תַנְחֵֽם׃ |
33 Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Hast thou appointed their dominion over the earth?
| הֲ֭יָדַעְתָּ חֻקּ֣וֹת שָׁמָ֑יִם אִם־תָּשִׂ֖ים מִשְׁטָר֣וֹ בָאָֽרֶץ׃ |
34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, So that abundance of waters will cover thee?
| הֲתָרִ֣ים לָעָ֣ב קוֹלֶ֑ךָ וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַ֥יִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃ |
35 Canst thou send forth lightnings, so that they will go, And say to thee, “Here we are”?
| הַֽתְשַׁלַּ֣ח בְּרָקִ֣ים וְיֵלֵ֑כוּ וְיֹאמְר֖וּ לְךָ֣ הִנֵּֽנוּ׃ |
36 Who hath put understanding in the reins, And given intelligence to the mind?
| מִי־שָׁ֭ת בַּטֻּח֣וֹת חָכְמָ֑ה א֤וֹ מִֽי־נָתַ֖ן לַשֶּׂ֣כְוִי בִינָֽה׃ |
37 Who numbereth the clouds in wisdom? And who poureth out the bottles of heaven,
| מִֽי־יְסַפֵּ֣ר שְׁחָקִ֣ים בְּחָכְמָ֑ה וְנִבְלֵ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם מִ֣י יַשְׁכִּֽיב׃ |
38 When the dust floweth into a molten mass, And the clods cleave fast together?
| בְּצֶ֣קֶת עָ֭פָר לַמּוּצָ֑ק וּרְגָבִ֥ים יְדֻבָּֽקוּ׃ |
39 Canst thou hunt prey for the lioness, Or satisfy the hunger of the young lions,
| הֲתָצ֣וּד לְלָבִ֣יא טָ֑רֶף וְחַיַּ֖ת כְּפִירִ֣ים תְּמַלֵּֽא׃ |
40 When they couch in their dens, And lie in wait in the thicket?
| כִּי־יָשֹׁ֥חוּ בַמְּעוֹנ֑וֹת יֵשְׁב֖וּ בַסֻּכָּ֣ה לְמוֹ־אָֽרֶב׃ |
41 Who provideth for the raven his food, When his young ones cry unto God, While they wander about without food?
| מִ֤י יָכִ֥ין לָעֹרֵ֗ב צֵ֫יד֥וֹ כִּֽי־יְ֭לָדָיו אֶל־אֵ֣ל יְשַׁוֵּ֑עוּ יִ֝תְע֗וּ לִבְלִי־אֹֽכֶל׃ |
