Job 38
1 And Jehovah answereth Job out of the whirlwind, and saith: —
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,
2 Who [is] this — darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?
“Who is this who questions my wisdom by talking so ignorantly?
3 Gird, I pray thee, as a man, thy loins, And I ask thee, and cause thou Me to know.
Prepare yourself, be strong, for I am going to 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 laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have such knowledge!
5 Who placed its measures — if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched out upon it a line?
Who decided its dimensions? Don't you know? Who stretched out a measuring line?
6 On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who hath cast its corner-stone?
What do its foundations rest upon? Who laid its cornerstone,
7 In the singing together of stars of morning, And all sons of God shout for joy,
when the stars of the morning sang together and all the angels shouted for joy.
8 And He shutteth up with doors the sea, In its coming forth, from the womb it goeth out.
Who laid down the boundaries of the sea when it was born?
9 In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band,
Who clothed it with clouds, and wrapped it in a blanket of deep darkness?
10 And I measure over it My statute, And place bar and doors,
I set its limits, marking its borders.
11 And say, 'Hitherto come thou, and add not, And a command is placed On the pride of thy billows.'
I said, ‘You may come here, but no farther. Here is where your proud waves stop.’
12 Hast thou commanded morning since thy days? Causest thou the dawn to know its place?
During your lifetime, have you ever ordered the morning to begin?
13 To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it,
Have you ever told the dawn where to appear that it might take hold of the corners of the earth and shake the wicked out?
14 It turneth itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed.
The earth is changed like clay under a seal; its features stand out like a crumpled garment.
15 And withheld from the wicked is their light, And the arm lifted up is broken.
The ‘light’ of the wicked is taken away from them; their acts of violence are stopped.
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 sources of the sea? Have you explored their hidden depths?
17 Revealed to thee were the gates of death? And the gates of death-shade dost thou see?
Have you been shown where the gates of death are? Have you seen the gates of utter darkness?
18 Thou hast understanding, Even unto the broad places of earth! Declare — if thou hast known it all.
Do you know how far the earth extends? Tell me if you know all this!
19 Where [is] this — the way light dwelleth? And darkness, where [is] this — its place?
In which direction does light live? Where does darkness dwell?
20 That thou dost take it unto its boundary, And that thou dost understand The paths of its house.
Can you take them home? Do you know the way to where they live?
21 Thou hast known — for then thou art born And the number of thy days [are] many!
Of course you know, because you were already born then! You've lived so long!
22 Hast thou come in unto the treasure of snow? Yea, the treasures of hail dost thou see?
Have you been to where the snow is kept? Have you seen where the hail is held?
23 That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle.
I have stored them up for the time of trouble, for the day of war and battle.
24 Where [is] this, the way light is apportioned? It scattereth an east wind over the earth.
Do you know the way to where light comes from, or to where the east wind blows over the earth?
25 Who hath divided for the flood a conduit? And a way for the lightning of the voices?
Who cuts a channel for the rain to flow? Who creates a path for the thunderbolt?
26 To cause [it] to rain on a land — no man, A wilderness — no man in it.
Who brings rain to an uninhabited land, to a desert where nobody lives,
27 To satisfy a desolate and waste place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass?
to water a parched wasteland to make the green grass grow?
28 Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
Does the rain have a father? Who was the father of the dewdrops?
29 From whose belly came forth the ice? And the hoar-frost of the heavens, Who hath begotten it?
Who was the mother of ice? Does the frost of the air have a mother?
30 As a stone waters are hidden, And the face of the deep is captured.
Water turns into rock-hard ice; its surface freezes solid.
31 Dost thou bind sweet influences of Kimah? Or the attractions of Kesil dost thou open?
Can you tie together the stars of the Pleiades? Can you loosen the belt of the Orion constellation?
32 Dost thou bring out Mazzaroth in its season? And Aysh for her sons dost thou comfort?
Can you guide the stars of Mazzaroth at the right time? Can you direct the Great Bear constellation and its other stars?
33 Hast thou known the statutes of heaven? Or dost thou appoint Its dominion in the earth?
Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you apply them to the earth?
34 Dost thou lift up to the cloud thy voice, And abundance of water doth cover thee?
Can you shout to the clouds and command them to pour rain down on you?
35 Dost thou send out lightnings, and they go And say unto thee, 'Behold us?'
Can you send out bolts of lightning and direct them, so that they can answer you saying, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who hath put in the inward parts wisdom? Or who hath given To the covered part understanding?
Who has placed wisdom inside people? Who has given understanding to the mind?
37 Who doth number the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who doth cause to lie down,
Who is clever enough to count the clouds? Who can turn heaven's water jars on their sides
38 In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together?
when the dust has baked into a solid mass?
39 Dost thou hunt for a lion prey? And the desire of young lions fulfil?
Can you hunt prey for the lion? Can you feed the lion cubs
40 When they bow down in dens — Abide in a thicket for a covert?
as they crouch down in their dens and lie in wait in the bushes?
41 Who doth prepare for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry unto God? They wander without food.
Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God, weak from starvation?
