Job 38
1 Then Yahweh called to Job out of a fierce storm and said,
Then spake Jehovah to Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
2 “Who is this who brings darkness to plans by means of words without knowledge?
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Now gird up your loins like a man for I will ask you questions, and you must answer me.
Gird up thy loins like a man! I will ask thee, and answer thou me!
4 Where were you when I laid the earth's foundations? Tell me, if you have so much understanding.
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding!
5 Who determined its dimensions? Tell me, if you know. Who stretched the measuring line over it?
Who fixed its dimensions, that thou shouldst know it! Or who stretched out the line upon it?
6 On what were its foundations laid? Who laid its cornerstone
Upon what were its foundations fixed? And who laid its corner-stone,
7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 Who shut up the sea with doors when it burst out, as if it had come out of the womb—
And who shut up the sea with doors, When it burst forth as from the womb?
9 when I made clouds its clothing, and thick darkness its swaddling bands?
When I made the clouds its mantle, And thick darkness its swaddling-band;
10 That was when I marked out for the sea my boundary, and when I placed its bars and doors,
When I appointed for it my bound, And fixed for it bars and doors;
11 and when I said to it, 'You may come this far, but no farther; here is where I will put a boundary to the pride of your waves.'
And said, Thus far shalt thou come, and no farther, And here shall thy proud waves be stayed!
12 Have you given orders to the morning, or caused the dawn to know its place,
Hast thou, in thy life, given charge to the morning, Or caused the day-spring to know its place,
13 so that it might take hold of the edges of the earth and shake the wicked out of it?
That it should lay hold of the ends of the earth, And shake the wicked out of it?
14 The earth is changed in appearance like clay changes under a seal; all things on it stand out clearly like the folds of a piece of clothing.
It is changed as clay by the seal; And all things stand forth as in rich apparel.
15 From wicked people their 'light' is taken away; their uplifted arm is broken.
But from the wicked their light is withheld, And the high-raised arm is broken.
16 Have you gone to the sources of the waters of the sea? Have you walked in the lowest parts of the deep?
Hast thou visited the springs of the sea, And walked through the recesses of the deep?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?
Have the gates of death been disclosed to thee, And hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?
18 Have you understood the earth in its expanse? Tell me, if you know it all.
Hast thou surveyed the breadth of the earth? Declare, if thou knowest it all!
19 Where is the way to the resting place of light— as for darkness, where is its place?
Where is the way to the abode of light? And darkness—where is its dwelling-place?
20 Can you lead light and darkness to their places of work? Can you find the way back to their houses for them?
That thou shouldst lead it to its boundary, And that thou shouldst know the paths to its mansion!
21 Undoubtedly you know, for you were born then; the number of your days is so large!
Surely thou knowest; for thou wast then born! And the number of thy years is great!
22 Have you entered the storehouses for the snow, or have you seen the storehouses for the hail,
Hast thou visited the storehouses of the snow, Or seen the treasuries of the hail,
23 these things that I have kept for times of trouble, for days of battle and war?
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, —Against the day of battle and war?
24 What is the path to where the lightning bolts are distributed or to where the winds are scattered from the east over the earth?
What is the way to where light is distributed, And the east wind spread abroad upon the earth?
25 Who has created the channels for the floods of rain, or who has made a path for the thunder,
Who hath prepared channels for the rain, And a path for the thunder-flash,
26 to cause it to rain on lands where no person exists, and on the wilderness, in which there is no one,
To give rain to the land without an inhabitant, To the wilderness wherein is no man;
27 to satisfy the devastated and desolate places, and to make the ground sprout with grass?
To satisfy the desolate and waste ground, And cause the tender herb to spring forth?
28 Does the rain have a father, or, who fathers the drops of dew?
Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of the dew?
29 Out of whose womb did the ice come? Who bore the white frost out of the sky?
Out of whose womb came the ice? And who hath gendered the hoar-frost of heaven?
30 The waters hide themselves and become like stone; the surface of the deep becomes frozen.
The waters are hid as under stone, And the face of the deep becometh solid.
31 Can you fasten chains on the Pleiades, or undo the cords of Orion?
Canst thou fasten the bands of the Pleiades, Or loosen the chains of Orion?
32 Can you lead the constellations to appear at their proper times? Can you guide the Bear with its children?
Canst thou lead forth the Signs in their season, Or guide the Bear with her sons?
33 Do you know the regulations of the sky? Could you set in place the sky's rule over the earth?
Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Hast thou appointed their dominion over the earth?
34 Can you raise your voice up to the clouds, so that an abundance of rainwater may cover you?
Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, So that abundance of waters will cover thee?
35 Can you send out bolts of lightning that they may go out, that they say to you, 'Here we are'?
Canst thou send forth lightnings, so that they will go, And say to thee, “Here we are”?
36 Who has put wisdom in the clouds or has given understanding to the mists?
Who hath put understanding in the reins, And given intelligence to the mind?
37 Who can number the clouds by his skill? Who can pour out the water skins of the sky
Who numbereth the clouds in wisdom? And who poureth out the bottles of heaven,
38 when the dust runs into a hard mass and the clods of earth clump tightly together?
When the dust floweth into a molten mass, And the clods cleave fast together?
39 Can you hunt down a victim for a lioness or satisfy the appetite of her young lion cubs
Canst thou hunt prey for the lioness, Or satisfy the hunger of the young lions,
40 when they are crouching in their dens and sheltering in hiding to lie in wait?
When they couch in their dens, And lie in wait in the thicket?
41 Who provides victims for the ravens when their young ones cry out to God and stagger about for lack of food?
Who provideth for the raven his food, When his young ones cry unto God, While they wander about without food?
