Job 38
1 And Jehovah answereth Job out of the whirlwind, and saith: —
Then Yahweh spoke to Job from inside a great windstorm. He said to him,
2 Who [is] this — darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?
“(Who are you to question what I plan to do?/You have no right/authority to question what I plan to do.) [RHQ] You are speaking ignorantly!
3 Gird, I pray thee, as a man, thy loins, And I ask thee, and cause thou Me to know.
I want to ask you [some] questions, so, just like men prepare themselves for a difficult task [MET], prepare to answer my questions.
4 Where wast thou when I founded earth? Declare, if thou hast known understanding.
(“Where were you/Were you there with me) [long ago] when I (laid the foundations of/created) the earth? Since you know so much, tell me [where you were at that time].
5 Who placed its measures — if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched out upon it a line?
Do you know how I decided how large the earth would be? Do you know who stretched a measuring tape around the earth? Surely [since you think that you know so much, ] you should know that!
6 On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who hath cast its corner-stone?
What supports the pillars on which the earth rests? When the stars [that shine early] in the morning sang together, and someone put in place the stone that causes the earth to stay in its place, and all the angels shouted joyfully [when they saw that happening], who laid that cornerstone? [Did you?]
7 In the singing together of stars of morning, And all sons of God shout for joy,
8 And He shutteth up with doors the sea, In its coming forth, from the womb it goeth out.
“When the seas poured forth from inside the earth, who prevented the water from flooding over the land?
9 In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band,
It was I, [not you, ] who caused clouds to come over the seas and caused it to become very dark [under those clouds].
10 And I measure over it My statute, And place bar and doors,
I set limits for the seas, and I put barriers [so that the water would not come over the land].
11 And say, 'Hitherto come thou, and add not, And a command is placed On the pride of thy billows.'
[I pointed to the shore] and said to the water, ‘I permit you to come up to here, but I do not permit you to come any farther. Your powerful waves must stop there!’
12 Hast thou commanded morning since thy days? Causest thou the dawn to know its place?
“Job, have you [ever] commanded the morning [to begin]? Have you [ever] told the dawn to start a new day?
13 To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it,
Have you [ever] told the dawn to spread out over the whole earth, with the result that wicked people run away from the light?
14 It turneth itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed.
When it becomes light after the dawn, the hills and the valleys become clear like the folds in a cloth.
15 And withheld from the wicked is their light, And the arm lifted up is broken.
When it becomes daylight, the wicked do not have the darkness [that they like]; [in the daylight] they no longer are able to raise up their arms, ready to hurt people.
16 Hast thou come in to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Hast thou walked up and down?
“[Job, ] have you traveled to the springs [in the bottom of the ocean] from which the water in the seas comes? Have you investigated/explored the very bottom of the oceans?
17 Revealed to thee were the gates of death? And the gates of death-shade dost thou see?
Has someone shown you the gates to the place where dead people are, the gates to the place where it is very dark?
18 Thou hast understanding, Even unto the broad places of earth! Declare — if thou hast known it all.
Do you know how big the earth is? Tell me, if you know all these things!
19 Where [is] this — the way light dwelleth? And darkness, where [is] this — its place?
“Where is the road to the place where light comes from? And [can you tell me] where darkness lives?
20 That thou dost take it unto its boundary, And that thou dost understand The paths of its house.
Can take me to its home? Do you know where the road is that goes there?
21 Thou hast known — for then thou art born And the number of thy days [are] many!
I am sure that you know these things, because you [talk as though you] were born before the time when all things were created; you [must] be very old!
22 Hast thou come in unto the treasure of snow? Yea, the treasures of hail dost thou see?
“Have you entered the place where I store the snow and the place where I keep the hail?
23 That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle.
I store the snow and the hail [in order that I can use them to help my people] when [they have] troubles, in times when [they are fighting] wars [DOU].
24 Where [is] this, the way light is apportioned? It scattereth an east wind over the earth.
And where is the road to the place from which I cause the lightning to flash? Where is the place from where the east wind begins to blow over all the earth?
25 Who hath divided for the flood a conduit? And a way for the lightning of the voices?
Who created the channels in which the rain comes down from the sky? Who makes the roads for the thunder/lightning?
26 To cause [it] to rain on a land — no man, A wilderness — no man in it.
Who causes rain to fall in the desert, in places where no one lives?
27 To satisfy a desolate and waste place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass?
Who sends the rain that gives moisture/water to areas where nothing has grown, with the result that grass begins to grow again?
28 Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
Does the rain have a father? Does the dew [also] have a father?
29 From whose belly came forth the ice? And the hoar-frost of the heavens, Who hath begotten it?
And from whose womb does ice come [in the (winter/cold season)]? Who gives birth to the frost that comes down from the sky?
30 As a stone waters are hidden, And the face of the deep is captured.
[In the winter, ] the water [freezes and] becomes hard, like a rock, and the surface of lakes becomes frozen.
31 Dost thou bind sweet influences of Kimah? Or the attractions of Kesil dost thou open?
“[Job], can you fasten the chains that hold the stars together in clusters/groups in the sky?
32 Dost thou bring out Mazzaroth in its season? And Aysh for her sons dost thou comfort?
Can you tell the stars when they should shine? Can you guide [the stars in the groups in the northern sky whose names are] the Big Bear and the Little Bear?
33 Hast thou known the statutes of heaven? Or dost thou appoint Its dominion in the earth?
Do you know the laws that the stars must obey? Can you cause those same laws to rule [everything here] on 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 cause rain to pour down on you?
35 Dost thou send out lightnings, and they go And say unto thee, 'Behold us?'
Can you cause flashes of lightning to come down and strike where you want it to strike? Do those flashes say to you, ‘Where do you want us to strike next?’
36 Who hath put in the inward parts wisdom? Or who hath given To the covered part understanding?
Who enables the clouds to know when they should cause rain to fall?
37 Who doth number the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who doth cause to lie down,
And who is skilled/wise enough to be able to count the clouds? Who can tilt the jugs of water in the sky [to cause the rain to fall],
38 In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together?
with the result that the dry ground becomes hard as the dry (clods/lumps of soil) [become wet and] stick together?
39 Dost thou hunt for a lion prey? And the desire of young lions fulfil?
“When a lioness and her cubs crouch in their dens or hide in a thicket, [waiting for some animal to pass by that they can kill, ] can you find animals for a lioness to kill so that [she and] her cubs can [eat the meat and] not be hungry any more?
40 When they bow down in dens — Abide in a thicket for a covert?
41 Who doth prepare for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry unto God? They wander without food.
Who provides dead animals for crows, when the baby crows are calling out to me [for food], [when they are so weak] because of their lack of food [that] they (stagger around/can hardly stand up) [in their nests]?”
