איוב 38

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

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

2 מִי זֶה ׀ מַחְשִׁיךְ עֵצָה בְמִלִּין בְּֽלִי־דָֽעַת׃

Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

3 אֱזׇר־נָא כְגֶבֶר חֲלָצֶיךָ וְאֶשְׁאָלְךָ וְהוֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃

Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

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

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

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

Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who stretched the line upon it?

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

Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

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

When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

8 וַיָּסֶךְ בִּדְלָתַיִם יָם בְּגִיחוֹ מֵרֶחֶם יֵצֵֽא׃

[Or who] shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, [as if] it had issued out of the womb;

9 בְּשׂוּמִי עָנָן לְבֻשׁוֹ וַעֲרָפֶל חֲתֻלָּתֽוֹ׃

When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

10 וָאֶשְׁבֹּר עָלָיו חֻקִּי וָאָשִׂים בְּרִיחַ וּדְלָתָֽיִם׃

And prescribed for it my decree, and set bars and doors,

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

And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

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

Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days [began, and] caused the dayspring to know its place;

13 לֶאֱחֹז בְּכַנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ וְיִנָּעֲרוּ רְשָׁ עִ ים מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it?

14 תִּתְהַפֵּךְ כְּחֹמֶר חוֹתָם וְיִֽתְיַצְּבוּ כְּמוֹ לְבֽוּשׁ׃

It is changed as clay under the seal; and [all things] stand forth as a garment:

15 וְיִמָּנַע מֵרְשָׁ עִ ים אוֹרָם וּזְרוֹעַ רָמָה תִּשָּׁבֵֽר׃

And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm is broken.

16 הֲבָאתָ עַד־נִבְכֵי־יָם וּבְחֵקֶר תְּהוֹם הִתְהַלָּֽכְתָּ׃

Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?

17 הֲנִגְלוּ לְךָ שַׁעֲרֵי־מָוֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵי צַלְמָוֶת תִּרְאֶֽה׃

Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee? or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?

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

Hast thou comprehended the breadth of the earth? declare, if thou knowest it all.

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

Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and as for darkness, where is the place thereof;

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

That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest discern the paths to the house thereof?

21 יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־אָז תִּוָּלֵד וּמִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ רַבִּֽים׃

[Doubtless], thou knowest, for thou wast then born, and the number of thy days is great!

22 הֲבָאתָ אֶל־אֹצְרוֹת שָׁלֶג וְאוֹצְרוֹת בָּרָד תִּרְאֶֽה׃

Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow, or hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail,

23 אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׂכְתִּי לְעֶת־צָר לְיוֹם קְרָב וּמִלְחָמָֽה׃

Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

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

By what way is the light parted, or the east wind scattered upon the earth?

25 מִֽי־פִלַּג לַשֶּׁטֶף תְּעָלָה וְדֶרֶךְ לַחֲזִיז קֹלֽוֹת׃

Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood, or a way for the lightning of the thunder;

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

To cause it to rain on a land where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

27 לְהַשְׂבִּיעַ שֹׁאָה וּמְשֹׁאָה וּלְהַצְמִיחַ מֹצָא דֶֽשֶׁא׃

To satisfy the waste and desolate [ground]; and to cause the tender grass to spring forth?

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

Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

29 מִבֶּטֶן מִי יָצָא הַקָּרַח וּכְפֹר שָׁמַיִם מִי יְלָדֽוֹ׃

Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

30 כָּאֶבֶן מַיִם יִתְחַבָּאוּ וּפְנֵי תְהוֹם יִתְלַכָּֽדוּ׃

The waters are hidden as [with] stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

31 הַֽתְקַשֵּׁר מַעֲדַנּוֹת כִּימָה אֽוֹ־מֹשְׁכוֹת כְּסִיל תְּפַתֵּֽחַ׃

Canst thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?

32 הֲתֹצִיא מַזָּרוֹת בְּעִתּוֹ וְעַיִשׁ עַל־בָּנֶיהָ תַנְחֵֽם׃

Canst thou lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? or canst thou guide the Bear with her train?

33 הֲיָדַעְתָּ חֻקּוֹת שָׁמָיִם אִם־תָּשִׂים מִשְׁטָרוֹ בָאָֽרֶץ׃

Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth?

34 הֲתָרִים לָעָב קוֹלֶךָ וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַיִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃

Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

35 הַֽתְשַׁלַּח בְּרָקִים וְיֵלֵכוּ וְיֹֽאמְרוּ לְךָ הִנֵּֽנוּ׃

Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?

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

Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the mind?

37 מִֽי־יְסַפֵּר שְׁחָקִים בְּחׇכְמָה וְנִבְלֵי שָׁמַיִם מִי יַשְׁכִּֽיב׃

Who can number the clouds by wisdom? or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,

38 בְּצֶקֶת עָפָר לַמּוּצָק וּרְגָבִים יְדֻבָּֽקוּ׃

When the dust runneth into a mass, and the clods cleave fast together?

39 הֲתָצוּד לְלָבִיא טָרֶף וְחַיַּת כְּפִירִים תְּמַלֵּֽא׃

Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lioness? or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

40 כִּֽי־יָשֹׁחוּ בַמְּעוֹנוֹת יֵֽשְׁבוּ בַסֻּכָּה לְמוֹ־אָֽרֶב׃

When they couch in their dens, [and] abide in the covert to lie in wait?

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

Who provideth for the raven his food, when his young ones cry unto God, [and] wander for lack of meat?