< Job 40 >
1 And Jehovah doth answer Job, and saith: —
God continued speaking to Job.
2 Is the striver with the Mighty instructed? The reprover of God, let him answer it.
“Are you still going to fight with the Almighty and try to set him straight? Anyone who argues with God must give some answers.”
3 And Job answereth Jehovah, and saith: —
Job answered the Lord,
4 Lo, I have been vile, What do I return to Thee? My hand I have placed on my mouth.
“Me—I am nothing at all. I have no answers. I put my hand in front of my mouth.
5 Once I have spoken, and I answer not, And twice, and I add not.
I have already said far too much and I won't say anything more.”
6 And Jehovah answereth Job out of the whirlwind, and saith: —
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,
7 Gird, I pray thee, as a man, thy loins, 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.
8 Dost thou also make void My judgment? Dost thou condemn Me, That thou mayest be righteous?
Are you really going to say my decisions are wrong? Are you going to condemn me so you can be right?
9 And an arm like God hast thou? And with a voice like Him dost thou thunder?
Are you as powerful as I am? Does your voice thunder like mine?
10 Put on, I pray thee, excellency and loftiness, Yea, honour and beauty put on.
Why don't you dress yourself with majesty and dignity, and clothe yourself with glory and splendor!
11 Scatter abroad the wrath of thine anger, And see every proud one, and make him low.
Let loose your fierce anger. Humble the proud with a glance.
12 See every proud one — humble him, And tread down the wicked in their place.
Bring down the proud with your gaze; tread the wicked underfoot right where they are.
13 Hide them in the dust together, Their faces bind in secret.
Bury them in the dust; lock them away in the grave.
14 And even I — I do praise thee, For thy right hand giveth salvation to thee.
Then I will also agree that your own strength can save you.
15 Lo, I pray thee, Behemoth, that I made with thee: Grass as an ox he eateth.
Consider Behemoth, a creature I made just like I made you. It eats grass like cattle.
16 Lo, I pray thee, his power [is] in his loins, And his strength in the muscles of his belly.
Look at its powerful loins, the muscles of its belly.
17 He doth bend his tail as a cedar, The sinews of his thighs are wrapped together,
It bends its tail like a cedar; its thigh sinews are strong.
18 His bones [are] tubes of brass, His bones [are] as a bar of iron.
Its bones are like bronze tubes; its limbs like iron rods.
19 He [is] a beginning of the ways of God, His Maker bringeth nigh his sword;
It is the most important example of what God can do; only the one who made it can approach it with a sword.
20 For food do mountains bear for him, And all the beasts of the field play there.
The hills produce food for it, and all the wild animals play there.
21 Under shades he lieth down, In a secret place of reed and mire.
It lies under the lotus; it hides in the reeds of the marsh.
22 Cover him do shades, [with] their shadow, Cover him do willows of the brook.
The lotus covers it with shade; the willow trees of the valley surround it.
23 Lo, a flood oppresseth — he doth not haste, He is confident though Jordan Doth come forth unto his mouth.
Even if the river is in flood, it is not concerned; it remains calm when the Jordan river surges against it.
24 Before his eyes doth [one] take him, With snares doth [one] pierce the nose?
No one can catch it while it is watching, or pierce its nose with a noose.