Job 38
1 And Jehovah answereth Job out of the whirlwind, and saith: —
And after Elius had ceased from speaking, the Lord spoke to Job through the whirlwind and clouds, [saying],
2 Who [is] this — darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?
Who is this that hides counsel from me, and confines words in [his] heart, and thinks to conceal [them] from me?
3 Gird, I pray thee, as a man, thy loins, And I ask thee, and cause thou Me to know.
Gird thy loins like a man; and I will ask thee, and do thou answer me.
4 Where wast thou when I founded earth? Declare, if thou hast known understanding.
Where wast thou when I founded the earth? tell me now, if thou hast knowledge,
5 Who placed its measures — if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched out upon it a line?
who set the measures of it, if thou knowest? or who stretched a line upon it?
6 On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who hath cast its corner-stone?
On what are its rings fastened? and who is he that laid the corner-stone upon it?
7 In the singing together of stars of morning, And all sons of God shout for joy,
When the stars were made, all my angels praised me with a loud voice.
8 And He shutteth up with doors the sea, In its coming forth, from the womb it goeth out.
And I shut up the sea with gates, when it rushed out, coming forth out its mother's womb.
9 In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band,
And I made a cloud its clothing, and swathed it in mist.
10 And I measure over it My statute, And place bar and doors,
And I set bounds to it, surrounding it with bars and gates.
11 And say, 'Hitherto come thou, and add not, And a command is placed On the pride of thy billows.'
And I said to it, Hitherto shalt thou come, but thou shalt not go beyond, but thy waves shall be confined within thee.
12 Hast thou commanded morning since thy days? Causest thou the dawn to know its place?
Or did I order the morning light in thy time; and [did] the morning star [then first] see his appointed place;
13 To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it,
to lay hold of the extremities of the earth, to cast out the ungodly out of it?
14 It turneth itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed.
Or didst thou take clay of the ground, and form a living creature, and set it with the power of speech upon the earth?
15 And withheld from the wicked is their light, And the arm lifted up is broken.
And hast thou removed light from the ungodly, and crushed the arm of the proud?
16 Hast thou come in to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Hast thou walked up and down?
Or hast thou gone to the source of the sea, and walked in the tracks of the deep?
17 Revealed to thee were the gates of death? And the gates of death-shade dost thou see?
And do the gates of death open to thee for fear; and did the porters of hell quake when they saw thee? (questioned)
18 Thou hast understanding, Even unto the broad places of earth! Declare — if thou hast known it all.
And hast thou been instructed in the breadth of the [whole earth] under heaven? tell me now, what is the extent of it?
19 Where [is] this — the way light dwelleth? And darkness, where [is] this — its place?
And in what kind of a land does the light dwell? and of what kind is the place of darkness?
20 That thou dost take it unto its boundary, And that thou dost understand The paths of its house.
If thou couldest bring me to their [utmost] boundaries, and if also thou knowest their paths;
21 Thou hast known — for then thou art born And the number of thy days [are] many!
I know then that thou wert born at that time, and the number of thy years is great.
22 Hast thou come in unto the treasure of snow? Yea, the treasures of hail dost thou see?
But hast thou gone to the treasures of snow? and hast thou seen the treasures of hail?
23 That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle.
And is there a store [of them], for thee against the time of [thine] enemies, for the day of wars and battle?
24 Where [is] this, the way light is apportioned? It scattereth an east wind over the earth.
And whence proceeds the frost? or [whence] is the south wind dispersed over the [whole world] under heaven?
25 Who hath divided for the flood a conduit? And a way for the lightning of the voices?
And who prepared a course for the violent rain, and a way for the thunders;
26 To cause [it] to rain on a land — no man, A wilderness — no man in it.
to rain upon the land where [there is] no man, the wilderness, where there is not a man in it; so as to feed the untrodden and uninhabited [land],
27 To satisfy a desolate and waste place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass?
and cause it to send forth a crop of green herbs?
28 Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
Who is the rain's father? and who has generated the drops of dew?
29 From whose belly came forth the ice? And the hoar-frost of the heavens, Who hath begotten it?
And out of whose womb comes the ice? and who has produced the frost in the sky,
30 As a stone waters are hidden, And the face of the deep is captured.
which descends like flowing water? who has terrified the face of the ungodly?
31 Dost thou bind sweet influences of Kimah? Or the attractions of Kesil dost thou open?
And dost thou understand the band of Pleias, and hast thou opened the barrier of Orion?
32 Dost thou bring out Mazzaroth in its season? And Aysh for her sons dost thou comfort?
Or wilt thou reveal Mazuroth in his season, and the evening star with his rays? Wilt thou guide them?
33 Hast thou known the statutes of heaven? Or dost thou appoint Its dominion in the earth?
And knowest thou the changes of heaven, or the events which take place together under heaven?
34 Dost thou lift up to the cloud thy voice, And abundance of water doth cover thee?
And wilt thou call a cloud with thy voice, and will it obey thee with a violent shower of much rain?
35 Dost thou send out lightnings, and they go And say unto thee, 'Behold us?'
And wilt thou send lightnings, and they shall go? and shall they say to thee, What is [thy pleasure]?
36 Who hath put in the inward parts wisdom? Or who hath given To the covered part understanding?
And who has given to women skill in weaving, or knowledge of embroidery?
37 Who doth number the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who doth cause to lie down,
And who is he that numbers the clouds in wisdom, and has bowed the heaven [down] to the earth?
38 In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together?
For it is spread out as dusty earth, and I have cemented it as one hewn stone to another.
39 Dost thou hunt for a lion prey? And the desire of young lions fulfil?
And wilt thou hunt a prey for the lions? and satisfy the desires of the serpents?
40 When they bow down in dens — Abide in a thicket for a covert?
For they fear in their lairs, and lying in wait couch in the woods.
41 Who doth prepare for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry unto God? They wander without food.
And who has prepared food for the raven? for its young ones wander and cry to the Lord, in search of food.
