Job 38
1 And Jehovah answereth Job out of the whirlwind, and saith: —
But the Lord, responding to Job from a whirlwind, said:
2 Who [is] this — darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?
Who is this that wraps sentences in unskilled words?
3 Gird, I pray thee, as a man, thy loins, And I ask thee, and cause thou Me to know.
Gird your waist like a man. I will question you, and you must answer me.
4 Where wast thou when I founded earth? Declare, if thou hast known understanding.
Where were you, when I set the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.
5 Who placed its measures — if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched out upon it a line?
Who set its measurements, if you know, or who stretched a line over it?
6 On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who hath cast its corner-stone?
Upon what have its bases been grounded, and who set forth its cornerstone,
7 In the singing together of stars of morning, And all sons of God shout for joy,
when the morning stars praised me together, and all the sons of God made a joyful noise?
8 And He shutteth up with doors the sea, In its coming forth, from the womb it goeth out.
Who enclosed the sea with doors, when it broke forth as if issuing from the womb,
9 In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band,
when I stationed a cloud as its garment and wrapped it in a mist as if swaddling an infant?
10 And I measure over it My statute, And place bar and doors,
I encircled it with my limits, and I positioned its bars and doors.
11 And say, 'Hitherto come thou, and add not, And a command is placed On the pride of thy billows.'
And I said: “This far you will approach, and you will proceed no further, and here you will break your swelling waves.”
12 Hast thou commanded morning since thy days? Causest thou the dawn to know its place?
Did you, after your birth, command the birth of the sun and show the sunrise its place?
13 To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it,
And did you hold the extremities of the earth, shaking them, and have you shaken the impious out of it?
14 It turneth itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed.
The seal will be restored like clay, and it will remain in place like a garment.
15 And withheld from the wicked is their light, And the arm lifted up is broken.
From the impious, the light will be taken away, and the exalted arm will be broken.
16 Hast thou come in to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Hast thou walked up and down?
Have you entered the depths of the sea, and have you taken a walk in the uttermost parts of the abyss?
17 Revealed to thee were the gates of death? And the gates of death-shade dost thou see?
Have the gates of death been opened to you, and have you seen the doors of darkness?
18 Thou hast understanding, Even unto the broad places of earth! Declare — if thou hast known it all.
Have you considered the breadth of the earth? If you know all things, reveal them to me.
19 Where [is] this — the way light dwelleth? And darkness, where [is] this — its place?
Which is the way that holds the light, and which is the place of darkness?
20 That thou dost take it unto its boundary, And that thou dost understand The paths of its house.
In this way, you might lead each thing to its final place, and understand the paths of its house.
21 Thou hast known — for then thou art born And the number of thy days [are] many!
So then, did you know when you were to be born? And did you know the number of your days?
22 Hast thou come in unto the treasure of snow? Yea, the treasures of hail dost thou see?
Have you been admitted into the storehouses of the snows, and have you gazed upon the stockpile of the brimstone,
23 That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle.
which I have prepared for the time of the enemy, for the day of the battle and the war?
24 Where [is] this, the way light is apportioned? It scattereth an east wind over the earth.
In what way is the light scattered, and the heat distributed, over the earth?
25 Who hath divided for the flood a conduit? And a way for the lightning of the voices?
Who gave a course to the rainstorms, and a path to the resounding thunder,
26 To cause [it] to rain on a land — no man, A wilderness — no man in it.
so that it would rain on the earth far from man, in the wilderness where no mortal lingers,
27 To satisfy a desolate and waste place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass?
so that it would fill impassable and desolate places, and would bring forth green plants?
28 Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
Who is the father of rain, or who conceived the drops of dew?
29 From whose belly came forth the ice? And the hoar-frost of the heavens, Who hath begotten it?
From whose womb did the ice proceed, and who created the frost from the air?
30 As a stone waters are hidden, And the face of the deep is captured.
The waters are hardened to become like stone, and the surface of the abyss freezes over.
31 Dost thou bind sweet influences of Kimah? Or the attractions of Kesil dost thou open?
Will you have the strength to join together the sparkling stars of the Pleiades, or are you able to disperse the circling of Arcturus?
32 Dost thou bring out Mazzaroth in its season? And Aysh for her sons dost thou comfort?
Can you bring forth the morning star, in its time, and make the evening star rise over the sons of the earth?
33 Hast thou known the statutes of heaven? Or dost thou appoint Its dominion in the earth?
Do you know the order of heaven, and can you explain its rules here on the earth?
34 Dost thou lift up to the cloud thy voice, And abundance of water doth cover thee?
Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that an onslaught of waters will cover you?
35 Dost thou send out lightnings, and they go And say unto thee, 'Behold us?'
Can you send forth lightning bolts, and will they go, and on returning, say to you: “Here we are?”
36 Who hath put in the inward parts wisdom? Or who hath given To the covered part understanding?
Who placed discernment in the guts of man, or who gave the rooster intelligence?
37 Who doth number the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who doth cause to lie down,
Who can describe the rules of the heavens, or who can put to rest the harmony of heaven?
38 In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together?
When was the dust cast to become the earth, and when were its clods fastened together?
39 Dost thou hunt for a lion prey? And the desire of young lions fulfil?
Will you seize prey for the lioness, and will you sustain the lives of her young,
40 When they bow down in dens — Abide in a thicket for a covert?
as they rest in their dens or lie in wait in pits?
41 Who doth prepare for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry unto God? They wander without food.
Who provides the raven with its meal, when her chicks cry out to God, as they wander around because they have no food?
