איוב 38

1 וַיַּֽעַן־יְהֹוָה אֶת־אִיּוֹב (מנהסערה) [מִן ׀ הַסְּעָרָה] וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

And YHWH answers Job out of the whirlwind and says:

2 מִי זֶה ׀ מַחְשִׁיךְ עֵצָה בְמִלִּין בְּֽלִי־דָֽעַת׃

“Who [is] this—darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?

3 אֱזׇר־נָא כְגֶבֶר חֲלָצֶיךָ וְאֶשְׁאָלְךָ וְהוֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃

Now gird your loins as a man, And I ask you, and you cause Me to know.

4 אֵיפֹה הָיִיתָ בְּיׇסְדִי־אָרֶץ הַגֵּד אִם־יָדַעְתָּ בִינָֽה׃

Where were you when I founded the earth? Declare, if you have known understanding.

5 מִי־שָׂם מְמַדֶּיהָ כִּי תֵדָע אוֹ מִֽי־נָטָה עָלֶיהָ קָּֽו׃

Who placed its measures—if you know? Or who has stretched out a line on it?

6 עַל־מָה אֲדָנֶיהָ הׇטְבָּעוּ אוֹ מִי־יָרָה אֶבֶן פִּנָּתָֽהּ׃

On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who has cast its cornerstone—

7 בְּרׇן־יַחַד כּוֹכְבֵי בֹקֶר וַיָּרִיעוּ כׇּל־בְּנֵי אֱלֹהִֽים׃

In the singing together of [the] stars of morning, When all [the] sons of God shout for joy?

8 וַיָּסֶךְ בִּדְלָתַיִם יָם בְּגִיחוֹ מֵרֶחֶם יֵצֵֽא׃

And He shuts up the sea with doors, In its coming forth, it goes out from the womb.

9 בְּשׂוּמִי עָנָן לְבֻשׁוֹ וַעֲרָפֶל חֲתֻלָּתֽוֹ׃

In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band,

10 וָאֶשְׁבֹּר עָלָיו חֻקִּי וָאָשִׂים בְּרִיחַ וּדְלָתָֽיִם׃

And I measure My statute over it, And place bar and doors,

11 וָאֹמַר עַד־פֹּה תָבוֹא וְלֹא תֹסִיף וּפֹא־יָשִׁית בִּגְאוֹן גַּלֶּֽיךָ׃

And say, To here you come, and no more, And a command is placed On the pride of your billows.

12 הֲֽמִיָּמֶיךָ צִוִּיתָ בֹּקֶר (ידעתה שחר) [יִדַּעְתָּ הַשַּׁחַר] מְקֹמֽוֹ׃

Have you commanded morning since your days? Do you cause the dawn to know its place?

13 לֶאֱחֹז בְּכַנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ וְיִנָּעֲרוּ רְשָׁ עִ ים מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it,

14 תִּתְהַפֵּךְ כְּחֹמֶר חוֹתָם וְיִֽתְיַצְּבוּ כְּמוֹ לְבֽוּשׁ׃

It turns itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed.

15 וְיִמָּנַע מֵרְשָׁ עִ ים אוֹרָם וּזְרוֹעַ רָמָה תִּשָּׁבֵֽר׃

And their light is withheld from the wicked, And the arm lifted up is broken.

16 הֲבָאתָ עַד־נִבְכֵי־יָם וּבְחֵקֶר תְּהוֹם הִתְהַלָּֽכְתָּ׃

Have you come to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Have you walked up and down?

17 הֲנִגְלוּ לְךָ שַׁעֲרֵי־מָוֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵי צַלְמָוֶת תִּרְאֶֽה׃

Were the gates of death revealed to you? And do you see the gates of death-shade?

18 הִתְבֹּנַנְתָּ עַד־רַחֲבֵי־אָרֶץ הַגֵּד אִם־יָדַעְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ׃

You have understanding, Even to the broad places of earth! Declare—if you have known it all.

19 אֵי־זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ יִשְׁכׇּן־אוֹר וְחֹשֶׁךְ אֵי־זֶה מְקֹמֽוֹ׃

Where [is] this—the way light dwells? And darkness, where [is] this—its place?

20 כִּי תִקָּחֶנּוּ אֶל־גְּבוּלוֹ וְכִי־תָבִין נְתִיבוֹת בֵּיתֽוֹ׃

That you take it to its boundary, And that you understand the paths of its house.

21 יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־אָז תִּוָּלֵד וּמִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ רַבִּֽים׃

You have known—for then you are born, And the number of your days [are] many!

22 הֲבָאתָ אֶל־אֹצְרוֹת שָׁלֶג וְאוֹצְרוֹת בָּרָד תִּרְאֶֽה׃

Have you come to the treasure of snow? Indeed, do you see the treasures of hail,

23 אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׂכְתִּי לְעֶת־צָר לְיוֹם קְרָב וּמִלְחָמָֽה׃

That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle?

24 אֵי־זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ יֵחָלֶק אוֹר יָפֵץ קָדִים עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

Where [is] this, the way light is apportioned? It scatters an east wind over the earth.

25 מִֽי־פִלַּג לַשֶּׁטֶף תְּעָלָה וְדֶרֶךְ לַחֲזִיז קֹלֽוֹת׃

Who has divided a conduit for the flood? And a way for the lightning of the voices?

26 לְהַמְטִיר עַל־אֶרֶץ לֹא־אִישׁ מִדְבָּר לֹא־אָדָם בּֽוֹ׃

To cause [it] to rain on a land [with] no man, A wilderness [with] no man in it.

27 לְהַשְׂבִּיעַ שֹׁאָה וּמְשֹׁאָה וּלְהַצְמִיחַ מֹצָא דֶֽשֶׁא׃

To satisfy a desolate and ruined place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass?

28 הֲיֵשׁ־לַמָּטָר אָב אוֹ מִי־הוֹלִיד אֶגְלֵי־טָֽל׃

Does the rain have a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?

29 מִבֶּטֶן מִי יָצָא הַקָּרַח וּכְפֹר שָׁמַיִם מִי יְלָדֽוֹ׃

From whose belly came forth the ice? And the hoarfrost of the heavens, Who has begotten it?

30 כָּאֶבֶן מַיִם יִתְחַבָּאוּ וּפְנֵי תְהוֹם יִתְלַכָּֽדוּ׃

Waters are hidden as a stone, And the face of the deep is captured.

31 הַֽתְקַשֵּׁר מַעֲדַנּוֹת כִּימָה אֽוֹ־מֹשְׁכוֹת כְּסִיל תְּפַתֵּֽחַ׃

Do you bind the chains of the Pleiades? Or do you open the cords of Orion?

32 הֲתֹצִיא מַזָּרוֹת בְּעִתּוֹ וְעַיִשׁ עַל־בָּנֶיהָ תַנְחֵֽם׃

Do you bring out the twelve signs in [their] season? And do you comfort the Great Bear over her sons?

33 הֲיָדַעְתָּ חֻקּוֹת שָׁמָיִם אִם־תָּשִׂים מִשְׁטָרוֹ בָאָֽרֶץ׃

Have you known the statutes of the heavens? Or do you appoint Its dominion in the earth?

34 הֲתָרִים לָעָב קוֹלֶךָ וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַיִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃

Do you lift up your voice to the cloud, And abundance of water covers you?

35 הַֽתְשַׁלַּח בְּרָקִים וְיֵלֵכוּ וְיֹֽאמְרוּ לְךָ הִנֵּֽנוּ׃

Do you send out lightnings, and they go And say to you, Behold us?

36 מִי־שָׁת בַּטֻּחוֹת חׇכְמָה אוֹ מִֽי־נָתַן לַשֶּׂכְוִי בִינָֽה׃

Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the covered part?

37 מִֽי־יְסַפֵּר שְׁחָקִים בְּחׇכְמָה וְנִבְלֵי שָׁמַיִם מִי יַשְׁכִּֽיב׃

Who numbers the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who causes to lie down,

38 בְּצֶקֶת עָפָר לַמּוּצָק וּרְגָבִים יְדֻבָּֽקוּ׃

In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together?

39 הֲתָצוּד לְלָבִיא טָרֶף וְחַיַּת כְּפִירִים תְּמַלֵּֽא׃

Do you hunt prey for a lion? And fulfill the desire of young lions?

40 כִּֽי־יָשֹׁחוּ בַמְּעוֹנוֹת יֵֽשְׁבוּ בַסֻּכָּה לְמוֹ־אָֽרֶב׃

When they bow down in dens—Abide in a thicket for a covert?

41 מִי יָכִין לָעֹרֵב צֵידוֹ כִּֽי־יְלָדָו אֶל־אֵל יְשַׁוֵּעוּ יִתְעוּ לִבְלִי־אֹֽכֶל׃

Who prepares for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry to God? They wander without food.”