Job 40
1 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
Then Yahweh said to Job,
2 Shall he that cavilleth contend with the Almighty? he that argueth with God, let him answer it.
“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 the LORD, and said,
Then Job replied to Yahweh,
4 Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer thee? I lay mine 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, and I will not answer; yea twice, but I will proceed no further.
I have already said more than I should have said, so now I will say nothing more.”
6 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Then Yahweh [again] spoke to Job from inside the great windstorm. He said,
7 Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto 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 judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be justified?
“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 Or hast thou an arm like God? and canst thou thunder with a 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 now with excellency and dignity; and array thyself with honour and majesty.
[If you can do that], put on the robes that show that you are glorious and are greatly honored!
11 Pour forth the overflowings of thine anger: and look upon every one that is proud, 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 on every one that is proud, [and] bring him low; and tread down the wicked where they stand.
Humble those proud people [just] by looking at them [angrily] Crush wicked people quickly!
13 Hide them in the dust together; bind their faces in the hidden [place].
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 wilt I also confess of thee 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 now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as all 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 Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the muscles of his belly.
Their legs/thighs are [very] strong, and the muscles of their bellies are [very] powerful.
17 He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his thighs are knit 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 as tubes of brass; his limbs are like 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 the chief of the ways of God: he [only] that made him can make his sword to approach [unto him].
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 Surely the mountains bring him forth food; where all the beasts of the field do play.
On the hills grows food [PRS] for them to eat while many [HYP] other wild animals play nearby.
21 He lieth under the lotus trees, in the covert of the reed, and the fen.
They lie down [in the water] under the lotus plants; they hide in [tall] reeds in the swamps.
22 The lotus trees cover him with their shadow; 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 Behold, if a river overflow, he trembleth not: he is confident, though Jordan swell 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 Shall any take him when he is on the watch, or pierce through his nose with a snare?
No one can [RHQ] catch them by blinding their eyes or by piercing their noses with [the teeth of] a trap!”
