Job 38
1 Then Yahweh spoke to Job from inside a great windstorm. He said to him,
Pea naʻe toki folofola ʻa Sihova kia Siope mei he ʻahiohio, ʻo pehē,
2 “(Who are you to question what I plan to do?/You have no right/authority to question what I plan to do.) [RHQ] You are speaking ignorantly!
“Ko hai eni ʻoku ne fakapoʻuliʻi ʻae fakakaukau ʻaki ʻae ngaahi lea ʻoe taʻeʻilo?
3 I want to ask you [some] questions, so, just like men prepare themselves for a difficult task [MET], prepare to answer my questions.
Ko eni, ke ke nonoʻo ho noʻotangavala ʻo ngali mo e tangata; he te u ʻeke kiate koe, pea ke fakamatala mai kiate au.
4 (“Where were you/Were you there with me) [long ago] when I (laid the foundations of/created) the earth? Since you know so much, tell me [where you were at that time].
“Naʻa ke ʻi fē koe ʻi heʻeku ʻai ʻae ngaahi tuʻunga ʻo māmani? Fakahā mai, kapau ʻoku ʻiate koe ʻae faʻa ʻilo.
5 Do you know how I decided how large the earth would be? Do you know who stretched a measuring tape around the earth? Surely [since you think that you know so much, ] you should know that!
Ko hai naʻa ne ai hono ngaahi fuofua ʻo ia, ʻo kapau ʻoku ke ʻilo? Pe ko hai naʻa ne falō ʻae afo ki ai?
6 What supports the pillars on which the earth rests? When the stars [that shine early] in the morning sang together, and someone put in place the stone that causes the earth to stay in its place, and all the angels shouted joyfully [when they saw that happening], who laid that cornerstone? [Did you?]
ʻOku fakamaʻu ki he hā ʻa hono ngaahi tuʻunga ʻo ia? Pe ko hai naʻa ne ʻai ʻa hono maka tuliki ʻo ia;
ʻAia naʻe hiva fiefia fakataha ai ʻae ngaahi fetuʻu ʻoe pongipongi, pea kalanga fakafiefia ai ʻae ngaahi foha kotoa pē ʻoe ʻOtua?
8 “When the seas poured forth from inside the earth, who prevented the water from flooding over the land?
“Pe ko hai naʻa ne tāpuni ʻae tahi ʻaki ʻae ngaahi matapā, ʻi heʻene hā mai, ʻo hangē ko ʻene puna mei he manāva?
9 It was I, [not you, ] who caused clouds to come over the seas and caused it to become very dark [under those clouds].
ʻI heʻeku ngaohi ʻae ʻao ko e kofu ʻo ia, pea ko e fakapoʻuli matolu ko hono noʻo ʻoʻona.
10 I set limits for the seas, and I put barriers [so that the water would not come over the land].
ʻO keli hake ʻae potu naʻaku tuʻutuʻuni ki ai, ʻo ʻai ki ai ʻae ngaahi pou mo e matapā.
11 [I pointed to the shore] and said to the water, ‘I permit you to come up to here, but I do not permit you to come any farther. Your powerful waves must stop there!’
Pea u pehē, ‘Te ke haʻu ki heni, pea ngata ai: pea ʻe lolomi ʻi heni hoʻo ngaahi peau laukau?’
12 “Job, have you [ever] commanded the morning [to begin]? Have you [ever] told the dawn to start a new day?
“Naʻa ke fekau ki he pongipongi talu hoʻo ngaahi ʻaho; pea pule ki he hengihengi ʻoe ʻaho ke ne ʻilo hono potu:
13 Have you [ever] told the dawn to spread out over the whole earth, with the result that wicked people run away from the light?
Koeʻuhi ke ne puke ki he ngaahi ngataʻanga ʻoe fonua, koeʻuhi ke tupeʻi mei ai ʻae kakai angahala.
14 When it becomes light after the dawn, the hills and the valleys become clear like the folds in a cloth.
ʻOku liliu ia ʻo hangē ko e ʻumea ki he fakaʻilonga; pea ʻoku nau tuʻu ʻo hangē ko e kofu.
15 When it becomes daylight, the wicked do not have the darkness [that they like]; [in the daylight] they no longer are able to raise up their arms, ready to hurt people.
Ka ʻoku taʻofi mei he kau angahala ʻenau maama, pea ʻe fesiʻi ʻae nima māʻolunga.
16 “[Job, ] have you traveled to the springs [in the bottom of the ocean] from which the water in the seas comes? Have you investigated/explored the very bottom of the oceans?
“Naʻa ke hū koe ki he ngaahi matavai ʻoe tahi? Pe naʻa ke ʻeveʻeva ke kumi ʻae loloto?
17 Has someone shown you the gates to the place where dead people are, the gates to the place where it is very dark?
Naʻe toʻo ʻae ngaahi matapā ʻoe mate kiate koe? Pe naʻa ke mamata ʻe koe ki he ngaahi matapā ʻoe malumalu ʻoe mate?
18 Do you know how big the earth is? Tell me, if you know all these things!
Naʻa ke ʻiloʻi ʻae māukupu ʻoe fonua? Fakahā ʻo kapau ʻoku ke ʻilo ia kotoa pē.
19 “Where is the road to the place where light comes from? And [can you tell me] where darkness lives?
“Ko e fē ʻae hala ʻoku nofo ai ʻae maama? Pea ko e poʻuli, komaʻa ia ʻae potu ʻoʻona.
20 Can take me to its home? Do you know where the road is that goes there?
Koeʻuhi ke ke ʻave ia ki hono ngataʻanga ʻoʻona, pea koeʻuhi ke ke ʻilo ʻae ngaahi hala ki he fale ʻo ia?
21 I am sure that you know these things, because you [talk as though you] were born before the time when all things were created; you [must] be very old!
Kuo ke ʻilo ia, he naʻe fanauʻi koe ʻi he kuonga ko ia? Pe koeʻuhi kuo lahi hono lau ʻo ho ngaahi ʻaho?
22 “Have you entered the place where I store the snow and the place where I keep the hail?
Naʻa ke hū koe ki he ngaahi faʻoakianga ʻoe ʻuha hinehina? Pe naʻa ke mamata koe ki he ngaahi faʻoakiʻanga ʻoe ʻuha maka,
23 I store the snow and the hail [in order that I can use them to help my people] when [they have] troubles, in times when [they are fighting] wars [DOU].
ʻAia kuo u tuku ki he kuonga ʻoe fakamamahi, ki he ʻaho ʻoe fekeʻikeʻi mo e tau?
24 And where is the road to the place from which I cause the lightning to flash? Where is the place from where the east wind begins to blow over all the earth?
ʻOku vahevahe fēfeeʻi ʻae maama, ʻaia ʻoku ne tufaki ke mamaʻo ʻae matangi hahake ʻi he fonua?
25 Who created the channels in which the rain comes down from the sky? Who makes the roads for the thunder/lightning?
Ko hai kuo ne vaheʻi ʻae tafeʻanga vai ki he mahuohua ʻoe ngaahi vai, pe ko e hala ki he ʻuhila ʻoe mana;
26 Who causes rain to fall in the desert, in places where no one lives?
Koeʻuhi ke pule ke ʻuha ki he fonua, ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai ʻi ai ha tangata; ki he toafa, ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai ʻi ai ha tangata;
27 Who sends the rain that gives moisture/water to areas where nothing has grown, with the result that grass begins to grow again?
Ke fakafiemālie ʻae kelekele lala mo liʻaki; ke fakatupu ʻae moto ʻoe ʻakau vaivai?
28 Does the rain have a father? Does the dew [also] have a father?
Ko hai ʻae tamai ʻae ʻuha? Pe ko hai kuo ne fakatupu ʻae ngaahi tulutā ʻoe hahau?
29 And from whose womb does ice come [in the (winter/cold season)]? Who gives birth to the frost that comes down from the sky?
Naʻe haʻu ʻae vai fefeka mei he manāva ʻo hai? Pea ko hai naʻa ne fakatupu ʻae falositi hinehina ʻoe langi?
30 [In the winter, ] the water [freezes and] becomes hard, like a rock, and the surface of lakes becomes frozen.
Kuo fufū ʻae ngaahi vai ʻo hangē ko e maka, pea kuo fakafefeka ʻae funga ʻoe loloto.
31 “[Job], can you fasten the chains that hold the stars together in clusters/groups in the sky?
“ʻOku ke faʻa puleʻi ʻe koe ʻae ngaahi mālohi melie ʻo Peliatisi, pe vete ʻae ngaahi haʻi ʻo Olioni?
32 Can you tell the stars when they should shine? Can you guide [the stars in the groups in the northern sky whose names are] the Big Bear and the Little Bear?
ʻOku ke faʻa ʻomi ʻe koe ʻa Masaloti ʻi hono kuonga? Pe te ke faʻa fakahinohino ʻa ʻAakitulio mo hono ngaahi foha?
33 Do you know the laws that the stars must obey? Can you cause those same laws to rule [everything here] on the earth?
ʻOku ke ʻiloʻi ʻae ngaahi tuʻutuʻuni ʻoe langi? ʻOku ke faʻa fokotuʻu ʻene pule ki he fonua?
34 “Can you shout to the clouds and cause rain to pour down on you?
“ʻOku ke faʻa hiki hake ʻe koe ho leʻo ki he ngaahi ʻao, koeʻuhi ke ʻufiʻufi ʻaki koe ʻae ngaahi vai lahi?
35 Can you cause flashes of lightning to come down and strike where you want it to strike? Do those flashes say to you, ‘Where do you want us to strike next?’
ʻOku ke faʻa fekau atu ʻae ngaahi ʻuhila, koeʻuhi ke nau ʻalu, ʻonau pehē kiate koe, ‘Ko kimautolu eni?’
36 Who enables the clouds to know when they should cause rain to fall?
Ko hai kuo ne ʻai ʻae poto ki he ngaahi potu ʻi loto? Pe ko hai kuo ne foaki ʻae faʻa ʻilo ki he loto?
37 And who is skilled/wise enough to be able to count the clouds? Who can tilt the jugs of water in the sky [to cause the rain to fall],
Ko hai ʻoku faʻa lau ʻae ngaahi ʻao ʻi he poto? Pe ko hai te ne faʻa taʻofi ʻae ngaahi hina ʻoe langi?
38 with the result that the dry ground becomes hard as the dry (clods/lumps of soil) [become wet and] stick together?
ʻOka tupu ʻo fefeka ʻae efu, pea piki fakataha ʻae tuʻutanga kelekele?
39 “When a lioness and her cubs crouch in their dens or hide in a thicket, [waiting for some animal to pass by that they can kill, ] can you find animals for a lioness to kill so that [she and] her cubs can [eat the meat and] not be hungry any more?
“He te ke tuli ʻae meʻakai maʻae laione? Pe fakamākona ʻae fiekaia ʻoe fanga laione mui,
ʻOka nau ka tokoto ʻi honau ngaahi ʻana, pea nofo pe ʻo lama ʻi he potu lilo?
41 Who provides dead animals for crows, when the baby crows are calling out to me [for food], [when they are so weak] because of their lack of food [that] they (stagger around/can hardly stand up) [in their nests]?”
Ko hai ʻoku ne tokonaki ʻae meʻakai ki he leveni, ʻoka tangi hono fānganga ki he ʻOtua, ʻi heʻenau hē ko e masiva kai?
