Job 38
1 And Jehovah answereth Job out of the whirlwind, and saith: —
Then Yahweh responded to Job, out of a storm, and said: —
2 Who [is] this — darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?
Who is it 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, I pray thee—like a strong man—thy loins, that I may ask thee, and inform thou me:
4 Where wast thou when I founded earth? Declare, if thou hast known understanding.
Where wast thou, when I founded the earth? Tell, if thou knowest understanding!
5 Who placed its measures — if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched out upon it a line?
Who set the measurements thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched out over it a line?
6 On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who hath cast its corner-stone?
Whereon were the pedestals thereof sunk? Or who laid the corner stone thereof; —
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.
Or [who] shut in, with double doors, the sea, when, bursting out of the womb, it came forth;
9 In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band,
When I put a cloud as the garment thereof, and a thick cloud as the swaddling-band thereof;
10 And I measure over it My statute, And place bar and doors,
And brake off for it my boundary, and fixed a bar and double doors;
11 And say, 'Hitherto come thou, and add not, And a command is placed On the pride of thy billows.'
And said—Hitherto, shalt thou come, and no further, —and, here, shalt thou set a limit to the majesty of thy waves?
12 Hast thou commanded morning since thy days? Causest thou the dawn to know its place?
Since thy days [began] hast thou commanded the morning? or caused the dawn to know its place;
13 To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it,
That it might lay hold of the wings of the earth, and the lawless be shaken out of it?
14 It turneth itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed.
It transformeth itself like the clay of a seal, so that things stand forth like one arrayed;
15 And withheld from the wicked is their light, And the arm lifted up is broken.
That their light may be withdrawn from the lawless, and, the lofty arm, be shivered.
16 Hast thou come in to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Hast thou walked up and down?
Hast thou entered as far as the springs of the sea? Or, through the secret recesses of the resounding deep, hast thou wandered?
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, the gates of the death-shade, couldst thou descry?
18 Thou hast understanding, Even unto the broad places of earth! Declare — if thou hast known it all.
Hast thou well considered, even the breadths of the earth? Tell—if thou knowest it all!
19 Where [is] this — the way light dwelleth? And darkness, where [is] this — its place?
Where then is the way, the light shall abide? And, the darkness, where then is its place?
20 That thou dost take it unto its boundary, And that thou dost understand The paths of its house.
That thou mayest conduct it unto the bound thereof, and that thou mayest perceive the paths to its house.
21 Thou hast known — for then thou art born And the number of thy days [are] many!
Thou knowest, for, then, hadst thou been born! And, in number, thy days are many!
22 Hast thou come in unto the treasure of snow? Yea, the treasures of hail dost thou see?
Hast thou entered into the treasuries of the snow? And, the treasuries of the hail, couldst thou see?
23 That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle.
Which I have reserved for a time of distress, for the day of conflict and of war?
24 Where [is] this, the way light is apportioned? It scattereth an east wind over the earth.
Where then is the way the lightning is parted? The east wind spreadeth itself abroad over the earth.
25 Who hath divided for the flood a conduit? And a way for the lightning of the voices?
Who hath cloven—for the torrent—a channel? Or a way for the lightning of thunders;
26 To cause [it] to rain on a land — no man, A wilderness — no man in it.
To give rain over the no-man’s land, the desert, where no son of earth is;
27 To satisfy a desolate and waste place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass?
To satisfy the wild and the wilderness, to cause to spring forth the meadow of young grass?
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 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 forth the ice? And, the hoar-frost of the heavens, who hath given it birth?
30 As a stone waters are hidden, And the face of the deep is captured.
Like a stone, are the waters congealed, and, the face of the roaring deep, becometh firm!
31 Dost thou bind sweet influences of Kimah? Or the attractions of Kesil dost thou open?
Canst thou bind the fetters of the Pleiades? Or, the bands of Orion, canst thou unloose?
32 Dost thou bring out Mazzaroth in its season? And Aysh for her sons dost thou comfort?
Canst thou bring forth the signs of the Zodiac each in its season? Or, the Bear and her Young, canst thou lead?
33 Hast thou known the statutes of heaven? Or dost thou appoint Its dominion in the earth?
Knowest thou, the statutes of the heavens? Or didst thou appoint his 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, to the thick cloud, thy voice, and the overflow of waters cover thee?
35 Dost thou send out lightnings, and they go And say unto thee, 'Behold us?'
Canst thou send forth the lightnings, so that they go, and say to thee, Behold us?
36 Who hath put in the inward parts wisdom? Or who hath given To the covered part understanding?
Who hath put—into cloud-forms—wisdom? Or who hath given—to the meteor—understanding?
37 Who doth number the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who doth cause to lie down,
Who can count the thin clouds, in wisdom? And, the bottles of the heavens, who can empty out;
38 In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together?
When the dust is cast into a clod, and the lumps are bound together?
39 Dost thou hunt for a lion prey? And the desire of young lions fulfil?
Wilt thou hunt—for the Lioness—prey? Or, the craving of the Strong Lion, wilt thou satisfy;
40 When they bow down in dens — Abide in a thicket for a covert?
When they settle down in dens, abide in covert, for lying in wait?
41 Who doth prepare for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry unto God? They wander without food.
Who prepareth for the Raven his nourishment, —when his young ones—unto GOD—cry out, [when] they wander for lack of food?
