Job 40
1 Moreover Jehovah spake to Job, and said:
God continued speaking to Job.
2 Will the censurer of the Almighty contend with him? Will the reprover of God answer?
“Are you still going to fight with the Almighty and try to set him straight? Anyone who argues with God must give some answers.”
3 Then Job answered Jehovah, and said:
Job answered the Lord,
4 Behold, I am vile! what can I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.
“Me—I am nothing at all. I have no answers. I put my hand in front of my mouth.
5 Once have I spoken, but I will not speak again; Yea, twice, but I will say no more.
I have already said far too much and I won't say anything more.”
6 Then spake Jehovah to Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,
7 Gird up now thy loins like a man! I will ask thee, and do thou instruct me!
“Prepare yourself, be strong, for I am going to question you, and you must answer me.
8 Wilt thou even disannul my right? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayst be righteous?
Are you really going to say my decisions are wrong? Are you going to condemn me so you can be right?
9 Hast thou an arm like God's? Or canst thou thunder with thy voice like him?
Are you as powerful as I am? Does your voice thunder like mine?
10 Deck thyself with grandeur and majesty, And array thyself in splendor and glory!
Why don't you dress yourself with majesty and dignity, and clothe yourself with glory and splendor!
11 Send forth the fury of thy wrath! Look upon every proud one, and abase him!
Let loose your fierce anger. Humble the proud with a glance.
12 Look upon every proud one, and bring him low; Yea, tread down the wicked in their place!
Bring down the proud with your gaze; tread the wicked underfoot right where they are.
13 Hide them in the dust together; Shut up their faces in darkness!
Bury them in the dust; lock them away in the grave.
14 Then, indeed, will I give thee the praise, That thine own right hand can save thee.
Then I will also agree that your own strength can save you.
15 Behold the river-horse, which I have made as well as thyself; He feedeth on grass like the ox.
Consider Behemoth, a creature I made just like I made you. It eats grass like cattle.
16 Behold, what strength is in his loins! And what force in the muscles of his belly!
Look at its powerful loins, the muscles of its belly.
17 He bendeth his tail, like the cedar, And the sinews of his thighs are twisted together.
It bends its tail like a cedar; its thigh sinews are strong.
18 His bones are pipes of brass, And his limbs are bars of iron.
Its bones are like bronze tubes; its limbs like iron rods.
19 He is chief among the works of God; He that made him gave him his sword.
It is the most important example of what God can do; only the one who made it can approach it with a sword.
20 For the mountains supply him with food, Where all the beasts of the field play.
The hills produce food for it, and all the wild animals play there.
21 He lieth down under the lote-plants, In the covert of reeds, and in the fens.
It lies under the lotus; it hides in the reeds of the marsh.
22 The lote-plants cover him with their shadow, And the willows of the brook compass him about.
The lotus covers it with shade; the willow trees of the valley surround it.
23 Lo! the stream overfloweth, but he starteth not; He is unmoved though Jordan rush forth even to his mouth.
Even if the river is in flood, it is not concerned; it remains calm when the Jordan river surges against it.
24 Can one take him before his eyes, Or pierce his nose with hooks?
No one can catch it while it is watching, or pierce its nose with a noose.”
