Job 38
1 Then Yahweh responded to Job, out of a storm, and said: —
Then answered the Lord vnto Iob out of the whirle winde, and said,
2 Who is it that darkeneth counsel, by words, without knowledge?
Who is this that darkeneth the counsell by wordes without knowledge?
3 Gird, I pray thee—like a strong man—thy loins, that I may ask thee, and inform thou me:
Girde vp nowe thy loynes like a man: I will demande of thee and declare thou vnto me.
4 Where wast thou, when I founded the earth? Tell, if thou knowest understanding!
Where wast thou when I layd the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast vnderstanding,
5 Who set the measurements thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched out over it a line?
Who hath layde the measures thereof, if thou knowest, or who hath stretched the line ouer it:
6 Whereon were the pedestals thereof sunk? Or who laid the corner stone thereof; —
Whereupon are the foundations thereof set: or who layed the corner stone thereof:
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
When the starres of the morning praysed me together, and all the children of God reioyced:
8 Or [who] shut in, with double doors, the sea, when, bursting out of the womb, it came forth;
Or who hath shut vp the Sea with doores, when it yssued and came foorth as out of the wombe:
9 When I put a cloud as the garment thereof, and a thick cloud as the swaddling-band thereof;
When I made the cloudes as a couering thereof, and darkenesse as the swadeling bands thereof:
10 And brake off for it my boundary, and fixed a bar and double doors;
When I stablished my commandement vpon it, and set barres and doores,
11 And said—Hitherto, shalt thou come, and no further, —and, here, shalt thou set a limit to the majesty of thy waves?
And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no farther, and here shall it stay thy proude waues.
12 Since thy days [began] hast thou commanded the morning? or caused the dawn to know its place;
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy dayes? hast thou caused the morning to knowe his place,
13 That it might lay hold of the wings of the earth, and the lawless be shaken out of it?
That it might take hold of the corners of the earth, and that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14 It transformeth itself like the clay of a seal, so that things stand forth like one arrayed;
It is turned as clay to facion, and all stand vp as a garment.
15 That their light may be withdrawn from the lawless, and, the lofty arm, be shivered.
And from the wicked their light shall be taken away, and the hie arme shalbe broken.
16 Hast thou entered as far as the springs of the sea? Or, through the secret recesses of the resounding deep, hast thou wandered?
Hast thou entred into the bottomes of the sea? or hast thou walked to seeke out the depth?
17 Have the gates of death been disclosed to thee? And, the gates of the death-shade, couldst thou descry?
Haue the gates of death bene opened vnto thee? or hast thou seene the gates of the shadowe of death?
18 Hast thou well considered, even the breadths of the earth? Tell—if thou knowest it all!
Hast thou perceiued the breadth of the earth? tell if thou knowest all this.
19 Where then is the way, the light shall abide? And, the darkness, where then is its place?
Where is the way where light dwelleth? and where is the place of darkenesse,
20 That thou mayest conduct it unto the bound thereof, and that thou mayest perceive the paths to its house.
That thou shouldest receiue it in the boundes thereof, and that thou shouldest knowe the paths to the house thereof?
21 Thou knowest, for, then, hadst thou been born! And, in number, thy days are many!
Knewest thou it, because thou wast then borne, and because the nomber of thy dayes is great?
22 Hast thou entered into the treasuries of the snow? And, the treasuries of the hail, couldst thou see?
Hast thou entred into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seene the treasures of ye haile,
23 Which I have reserved for a time of distress, for the day of conflict and of war?
Which I haue hid against the time of trouble, against the day of warre and battell?
24 Where then is the way the lightning is parted? The east wind spreadeth itself abroad over the earth.
By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the East winde vpon the earth?
25 Who hath cloven—for the torrent—a channel? Or a way for the lightning of thunders;
Who hath deuided the spowtes for the raine? or the way for the lightning of ye thunders,
26 To give rain over the no-man’s land, the desert, where no son of earth is;
To cause it to raine on the earth where no man is, and in the wildernes where there is no man?
27 To satisfy the wild and the wilderness, to cause to spring forth the meadow of young grass?
To fulfil the wilde and waste place, and to cause the bud of the herbe to spring forth?
28 Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
Who is the father of the rayne? or who hath begotten the droppes of the dewe?
29 Out of whose womb, came forth the ice? And, the hoar-frost of the heavens, who hath given it birth?
Out of whose wombe came the yee? who hath ingendred the frost of the heauen?
30 Like a stone, are the waters congealed, and, the face of the roaring deep, becometh firm!
The waters are hid as with a stone: and the face of the depth is frosen.
31 Canst thou bind the fetters of the Pleiades? Or, the bands of Orion, canst thou unloose?
Canst thou restraine the sweete influences of the Pleiades? or loose the bandes of Orion?
32 Canst thou bring forth the signs of the Zodiac each in its season? Or, the Bear and her Young, canst thou lead?
Canst thou bring foorth Mazzaroth in their time? canst thou also guide Arcturus with his sonnes?
33 Knowest thou, the statutes of the heavens? Or didst thou appoint his dominion over the earth?
Knowest thou the course of heauen, or canst thou set the rule thereof in the earth?
34 Canst thou lift up, to the thick cloud, thy voice, and the overflow of waters cover thee?
Canst thou lift vp thy voice to the cloudes that the aboundance of water may couer thee?
35 Canst thou send forth the lightnings, so that they go, and say to thee, Behold us?
Canst thou sende the lightenings that they may walke, and say vnto thee, Loe, heere we are?
36 Who hath put—into cloud-forms—wisdom? Or who hath given—to the meteor—understanding?
Who hath put wisedome in the reines? or who hath giuen the heart vnderstanding?
37 Who can count the thin clouds, in wisdom? And, the bottles of the heavens, who can empty out;
Who can nomber cloudes by wisedome? or who can cause to cease the bottels of heaue,
38 When the dust is cast into a clod, and the lumps are bound together?
When the earth groweth into hardnesse, and the clottes are fast together?
39 Wilt thou hunt—for the Lioness—prey? Or, the craving of the Strong Lion, wilt thou satisfy;
Wilt thou hunt the pray for the lyon? or fill the appetite of the lyons whelpes,
40 When they settle down in dens, abide in covert, for lying in wait?
When they couch in their places, and remaine in the couert to lye in waite?
41 Who prepareth for the Raven his nourishment, —when his young ones—unto GOD—cry out, [when] they wander for lack of food?
Who prepareth for the rauen his meate, when his birdes crie vnto God, wandering for lacke of meate?
