Job 40
1 Moreover Jehovah spake to Job, and said:
Then Yahweh said to Job,
2 Will the censurer of the Almighty contend with him? Will the reprover of God answer?
“Do you still want to argue with me, the Almighty One? Since you criticize me, (you should be able to answer my questions!/why are you not able to answer my questions?) [RHQ]”
3 Then Job answered Jehovah, and said:
Then Job replied to Yahweh,
4 Behold, I am vile! what can I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.
“[Now I realize that] I am completely worthless. So (how could I answer [those questions]?/I could not possibly answer [those questions]!) [RHQ] I will put my hand over my mouth [and not say anything].
5 Once have I spoken, but I will not speak again; Yea, twice, but I will say no more.
I have already said more than I should have said, so now I will say nothing more.”
6 Then spake Jehovah to Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
Then Yahweh [again] spoke to Job from inside the great windstorm. He said,
7 Gird up now thy loins like a man! I will ask thee, and do thou instruct me!
“I want to ask you some [more] questions. So as men prepare themselves for a difficult task [MET], prepare yourself again to answer some [more] questions.
8 Wilt thou even disannul my right? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayst be righteous?
“Are you going to accuse me and say that I am unjust? Are you going to say that what I have done is wrong, in order that you can say that what you have done is right?
9 Hast thou an arm like God's? Or canst thou thunder with thy voice like him?
Are you as powerful [MTY] as I am? Can your voice sound [as loud] as thunder, as mine can?
10 Deck thyself with grandeur and majesty, And array thyself in splendor and glory!
[If you can do that], put on the robes that show that you are glorious and are greatly honored!
11 Send forth the fury of thy wrath! Look upon every proud one, and abase him!
Show that you are very angry; show that you have the right/authority to humble people who are [very] proud!
12 Look upon every proud one, and bring him low; Yea, tread down the wicked in their place!
Humble those proud people [just] by looking at them [angrily] Crush wicked people quickly!
13 Hide them in the dust together; Shut up their faces in darkness!
Bury them in the ground! Send them to the place where dead people are, where they will not be able to get out!
14 Then, indeed, will I give thee the praise, That thine own right hand can save thee.
After you do that, I will congratulate/praise you and say that [truly] you can save yourself by your own ability/power.
15 Behold the river-horse, which I have made as well as thyself; He feedeth on grass like the ox.
“Think [also] about the huge animals that live near the water. I made you, and I made them also. They eat grass, like oxen do.
16 Behold, what strength is in his loins! And what force in the muscles of his belly!
Their legs/thighs are [very] strong, and the muscles of their bellies are [very] powerful.
17 He bendeth his tail, like the cedar, And the sinews of his thighs are twisted together.
Their tails are stiff (OR, bend down) like the branches of a cedar tree. The sinews/muscles of their thighs are close together.
18 His bones are pipes of brass, And his limbs are bars of iron.
Their [thigh] bones are [like] tubes [made] of bronze, and the bones of their legs are like bars [made] of iron.
19 He is chief among the works of God; He that made him gave him his sword.
They are among the strongest of the animals that I made, and I, who created them, am the only one who can kill them.
20 For the mountains supply him with food, Where all the beasts of the field play.
On the hills grows food [PRS] for them to eat while many [HYP] other wild animals play nearby.
21 He lieth down under the lote-plants, In the covert of reeds, and in the fens.
They lie down [in the water] under the lotus plants; they hide in [tall] reeds in the swamps.
22 The lote-plants cover him with their shadow, And the willows of the brook compass him about.
Those huge animals find shade under the lotus plants, and they are surrounded by poplar trees.
23 Lo! the stream overfloweth, but he starteth not; He is unmoved though Jordan rush forth even to his mouth.
They are not disturbed by raging/swiftly-flowing rivers; they are not even disturbed/frightened when [rivers like the] Jordan [River] rush over them.
24 Can one take him before his eyes, Or pierce his nose with hooks?
No one can [RHQ] catch them by blinding their eyes or by piercing their noses with [the teeth of] a trap!”
