Job 38
1 And Jehovah answereth Job out of the whirlwind, and saith: —
Then spake Jehovah to Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
2 Who [is] this — darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Gird, I pray thee, as a man, thy loins, And I ask thee, and cause thou Me to know.
Gird up thy loins like a man! I will ask thee, and answer thou me!
4 Where wast thou when I founded earth? Declare, if thou hast known understanding.
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding!
5 Who placed its measures — if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched out upon it a line?
Who fixed its dimensions, that thou shouldst know it! Or who stretched out the line upon it?
6 On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who hath cast its corner-stone?
Upon what were its foundations fixed? And who laid its corner-stone,
7 In the singing together of stars of morning, And all sons of God shout for joy,
When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 And He shutteth up with doors the sea, In its coming forth, from the womb it goeth out.
And who shut up the sea with doors, When it burst forth as from the womb?
9 In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band,
When I made the clouds its mantle, And thick darkness its swaddling-band;
10 And I measure over it My statute, And place bar and doors,
When I appointed for it my bound, And fixed for it bars and doors;
11 And say, 'Hitherto come thou, and add not, And a command is placed On the pride of thy billows.'
And said, Thus far shalt thou come, and no farther, And here shall thy proud waves be stayed!
12 Hast thou commanded morning since thy days? Causest thou 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 To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it,
That it should lay hold of the ends of the earth, And shake the wicked out of it?
14 It turneth itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed.
It is changed as clay by the seal; And all things stand forth as in rich apparel.
15 And withheld from the wicked is their light, And the arm lifted up is broken.
But from the wicked their light is withheld, And the high-raised arm is broken.
16 Hast thou come in to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Hast thou walked up and down?
Hast thou visited the springs of the sea, And walked through the recesses of the deep?
17 Revealed to thee were the gates of death? And the gates of death-shade dost thou see?
Have the gates of death been disclosed to thee, And hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?
18 Thou hast understanding, Even unto the broad places of earth! Declare — if thou hast known it all.
Hast thou surveyed the breadth of the earth? Declare, if thou knowest it all!
19 Where [is] this — the way light dwelleth? And darkness, where [is] this — its place?
Where is the way to the abode of light? And darkness—where is its dwelling-place?
20 That thou dost take it unto its boundary, And that thou dost understand The paths of its house.
That thou shouldst lead it to its boundary, And that thou shouldst know the paths to its mansion!
21 Thou hast known — for then thou art born And the number of thy days [are] many!
Surely thou knowest; for thou wast then born! 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?
Hast thou visited the storehouses of the snow, Or seen the treasuries of the hail,
23 That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle.
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, —Against the day of battle and war?
24 Where [is] this, the way light is apportioned? It scattereth an east wind over the earth.
What is the way to where light is distributed, And the east wind spread abroad upon the earth?
25 Who hath divided for the flood a conduit? And a way for the lightning of the voices?
Who hath prepared channels for the rain, And a path for the thunder-flash,
26 To cause [it] to rain on a land — no man, A wilderness — no man in it.
To give rain to the land without an inhabitant, To the wilderness wherein is no man;
27 To satisfy a desolate and waste place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass?
To satisfy the desolate and waste ground, And cause the tender herb to spring forth?
28 Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of the dew?
29 From whose belly came forth the ice? And the hoar-frost of the heavens, Who hath begotten it?
Out of whose womb came the ice? And who hath gendered the hoar-frost of heaven?
30 As a stone waters are hidden, And the face of the deep is captured.
The waters are hid as under stone, And the face of the deep becometh solid.
31 Dost thou bind sweet influences of Kimah? Or the attractions of Kesil dost thou open?
Canst thou fasten the bands of the Pleiades, Or loosen the chains of Orion?
32 Dost thou bring out Mazzaroth in its season? And Aysh for her sons dost thou comfort?
Canst thou lead forth the Signs in their season, Or guide the Bear with her sons?
33 Hast thou known the statutes of heaven? Or dost thou appoint Its dominion in the earth?
Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Hast thou appointed their dominion over the earth?
34 Dost thou lift up to the cloud thy voice, And abundance of water doth cover thee?
Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, So that abundance of waters will cover thee?
35 Dost thou send out lightnings, and they go And say unto thee, 'Behold us?'
Canst thou send forth lightnings, so that they will go, And say to thee, “Here we are”?
36 Who hath put in the inward parts wisdom? Or who hath given To the covered part understanding?
Who hath put understanding in the reins, And given intelligence to the mind?
37 Who doth number the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who doth cause to lie down,
Who numbereth the clouds in wisdom? And who poureth out the bottles of heaven,
38 In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together?
When the dust floweth into a molten mass, And the clods cleave fast together?
39 Dost thou hunt for a lion prey? And the desire of young lions fulfil?
Canst thou hunt prey for the lioness, Or satisfy the hunger of the young lions,
40 When they bow down in dens — Abide in a thicket for a covert?
When they couch in their dens, And lie in wait in the thicket?
41 Who doth prepare for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry unto God? They wander without food.
Who provideth for the raven his food, When his young ones cry unto God, While they wander about without food?
