Job 40
1 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
And the Lord God answered Job, and said,
2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
Will [any one] pervert judgement with the Mighty One? and he that reproves God, let him return it for answer.
3 Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
And Job answered and said to the Lord,
4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.
Why do I yet plead? being rebuked even while reproving the Lord: hearing such things, whereas I am nothing: and what shall I answer to these [arguments]? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.
5 Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
I have spoken once; but I will not do so a second time.
6 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
And the Lord yet again answered and spoke to Job out of the cloud, [saying],
7 Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou to me.
Nay, gird up now your loins like a man; and I will ask you, and do you answer me.
8 Wilt thou also settest aside my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
Do not set aside my judgement: and do you think that I have dealt with you in any other way, than that you might appear to be righteous?
9 Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like his?
Hast you an arm like the Lord's? or do you thunder with a voice like his?
10 Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.
Assume now a lofty bearing and power; and clothe yourself with glory and honour.
11 Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.
And send forth messengers with wrath; and lay low every haughty one.
12 Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.
Bring down also the proud man; and consume at once the ungodly.
13 Hide them in the dust together; bind their faces in secret.
And hide them together in the earth; and fill their faces with shame.
14 Then will I also confess to thee that thy own right hand can save thee.
[Then] will I confess that your right hand can save [you].
15 Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.
But now look at the wild beasts with you; they eat grass like oxen.
16 Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the sinew of his belly.
Behold now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
17 He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
He sets up his tail like a cypress; and his nerves are wrapped together.
18 His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.
His sides are sides of brass; and his backbone is [as] cast iron.
19 He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach him.
This is the chief of the creation of the Lord; made to be played with by his angels.
20 Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.
And when he has gone up to a steep mountain, he causes joy to the quadrupeds in the deep.
21 He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.
He lies under trees of every kind, by the papyrus, and reed, and bulrush.
22 The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook surround him.
And the great trees make a shadow over him with their branches, and [so do] the bushes of the field.
23 Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.
If there should be a flood, he will not perceive it; he trust that Jordan will rush up into his mouth.
24 He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.
[Yet one] shall take him in his sight; [one] shall catch [him] with a cord, and pierce his nose.
