אִיּוֹב 38

1 וַיַּֽעַן־יְהוָ֣ה אֶת־אִ֭יֹּוב מִנ הַסְּעָרָה (מִ֥ן ׀ הַסְּעָרָ֗ה) וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind,

2 מִ֤י זֶ֨ה ׀ מַחְשִׁ֖יךְ עֵצָ֥ה בְמִלִּ֗ין בְּֽלִי־דָֽעַת׃

“Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

3 אֱזָר־נָ֣א כְגֶ֣בֶר חֲלָצֶ֑יךָ וְ֝אֶשְׁאָלְךָ֗ וְהֹודִיעֵֽנִי׃

Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you answer me!

4 אֵיפֹ֣ה הָ֭יִיתָ בְּיָסְדִי־אָ֑רֶץ הַ֝גֵּ֗ד אִם־יָדַ֥עְתָּ בִינָֽה׃

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding.

5 מִי־שָׂ֣ם מְ֭מַדֶּיהָ כִּ֣י תֵדָ֑ע אֹ֤ו מִֽי־נָטָ֖ה עָלֶ֣יהָ קָּֽו׃

Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?

6 עַל־מָ֭ה אֲדָנֶ֣יהָ הָטְבָּ֑עוּ אֹ֥ו מִֽי־יָ֝רָ֗ה אֶ֣בֶן פִּנָּתָֽהּ׃

What were its foundations fastened on? Or who laid its cornerstone,

7 בְּרָן־יַ֭חַד כֹּ֣וכְבֵי בֹ֑קֶר וַ֝יָּרִ֗יעוּ כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י אֱלֹהִֽים׃

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

8 וַיָּ֣סֶךְ בִּדְלָתַ֣יִם יָ֑ם בְּ֝גִיחֹ֗ו מֵרֶ֥חֶם יֵצֵֽא׃

“Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke out of the womb,

9 בְּשׂוּמִ֣י עָנָ֣ן לְבֻשֹׁ֑ו וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל חֲתֻלָּתֹֽו׃

when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness,

10 וָאֶשְׁבֹּ֣ר עָלָ֣יו חֻקִּ֑י וָֽ֝אָשִׂ֗ים בְּרִ֣יחַ וּדְלָתָֽיִם׃

marked out for it my bound, set bars and doors,

11 וָאֹמַ֗ר עַד־פֹּ֣ה תָ֭בֹוא וְלֹ֣א תֹסִ֑יף וּפֹ֥א־יָ֝שִׁ֗ית בִּגְאֹ֥ון גַּלֶּֽיךָ׃

and said, ‘You may come here, but no further. Your proud waves shall be stopped here’?

12 הְֽ֭מִיָּמֶיךָ צִוִּ֣יתָ בֹּ֑קֶר יִדַּעְתָּה שַׁחַר (יִדַּ֖עְתָּ הַשַּׁ֣חַר) מְקֹמֹֽו׃

“Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place,

13 לֶ֭אֱחֹז בְּכַנְפֹ֣ות הָאָ֑רֶץ וְיִנָּעֲר֖וּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and shake the wicked out of it?

14 תִּ֭תְהַפֵּךְ כְּחֹ֣מֶר חֹותָ֑ם וְ֝יִֽתְיַצְּב֗וּ כְּמֹ֣ו לְבֽוּשׁ׃

It is changed as clay under the seal, and presented as a garment.

15 וְיִמָּנַ֣ע מֵרְשָׁעִ֣ים אֹורָ֑ם וּזְרֹ֥ועַ רָ֝מָ֗ה תִּשָּׁבֵֽר׃

From the wicked, their light is withheld. The high arm is broken.

16 הֲ֭בָאתָ עַד־נִבְכֵי־יָ֑ם וּבְחֵ֥קֶר תְּ֝הֹ֗ום הִתְהַלָּֽכְתָּ׃

“Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep?

17 הֲנִגְל֣וּ לְ֭ךָ שַׁעֲרֵי־מָ֑וֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵ֖י צַלְמָ֣וֶת תִּרְאֶֽה׃

Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?

18 הִ֭תְבֹּנַנְתָּ עַד־רַחֲבֵי־אָ֑רֶץ הַ֝גֵּ֗ד אִם־יָדַ֥עְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ׃

Have you comprehended the earth in its width? Declare, if you know it all.

19 אֵי־זֶ֣ה הַ֭דֶּרֶךְ יִשְׁכָּן־אֹ֑ור וְ֝חֹ֗שֶׁךְ אֵי־זֶ֥ה מְקֹמֹֽו׃

“What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is its place,

20 כִּ֣י תִ֭קָּחֶנּוּ אֶל־גְּבוּלֹ֑ו וְכִֽי־תָ֝בִ֗ין נְתִיבֹ֥ות בֵּיתֹֽו׃

that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house?

21 יָ֭דַעְתָּ כִּי־אָ֣ז תִּוָּלֵ֑ד וּמִסְפַּ֖ר יָמֶ֣יךָ רַבִּֽים׃

Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!

22 הֲ֭בָאתָ אֶל־אֹצְרֹ֣ות שָׁ֑לֶג וְאֹצְרֹ֖ות בָּרָ֣ד תִּרְאֶֽה׃

Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,

23 אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׂ֥כְתִּי לְעֶת־צָ֑ר לְיֹ֥ום קְ֝רָ֗ב וּמִלְחָמָֽה׃

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

24 אֵי־זֶ֣ה הַ֭דֶּרֶךְ יֵחָ֣לֶק אֹ֑ור יָפֵ֖ץ קָדִ֣ים עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

By what way is the lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth?

25 מִֽי־פִלַּ֣ג לַשֶּׁ֣טֶף תְּעָלָ֑ה וְ֝דֶ֗רֶךְ לַחֲזִ֥יז קֹלֹֽות׃

Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunderstorm,

26 לְ֭הַמְטִיר עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ לֹא־אִ֑ישׁ מִ֝דְבָּ֗ר לֹא־אָדָ֥ם בֹּֽו׃

to cause it to rain on a land where there is no man, on the wilderness, in which there is no man,

27 לְהַשְׂבִּ֣יעַ שֹׁ֖אָה וּמְשֹׁאָ֑ה וּ֝לְהַצְמִ֗יחַ מֹ֣צָא דֶֽשֶׁא׃

to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, to cause the tender grass to grow?

28 הֲיֵשׁ־לַמָּטָ֥ר אָ֑ב אֹ֥ו מִי־הֹ֝ולִ֗יד אֶגְלֵי־טָֽל׃

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

29 מִבֶּ֣טֶן מִ֭י יָצָ֣א הַקָּ֑רַח וּכְפֹ֥ר שָׁ֝מַיִם מִ֣י יְלָדֹֽו׃

Whose womb did the ice come out of? Who has given birth to the gray frost of the sky?

30 כָּ֭אֶבֶן מַ֣יִם יִתְחַבָּ֑אוּ וּפְנֵ֥י תְ֝הֹ֗ום יִתְלַכָּֽדוּ׃

The waters become hard like stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen.

31 הַֽ֭תְקַשֵּׁר מַעֲדַנֹּ֣ות כִּימָ֑ה אֹֽו־מֹשְׁכֹ֖ות כְּסִ֣יל תְּפַתֵּֽחַ׃

“Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?

32 הֲתֹצִ֣יא מַזָּרֹ֣ות בְּעִתֹּ֑ו וְ֝עַ֗יִשׁ עַל־בָּנֶ֥יהָ תַנְחֵֽם׃

Can you lead the constellations out in their season? Or can you guide the Bear with her cubs?

33 הֲ֭יָדַעְתָּ חֻקֹּ֣ות שָׁמָ֑יִם אִם־תָּשִׂ֖ים מִשְׁטָרֹ֣ו בָאָֽרֶץ׃

Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth?

34 הֲתָרִ֣ים לָעָ֣ב קֹולֶ֑ךָ וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַ֥יִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃

“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover you?

35 הֽ͏ַתְשַׁלַּ֣ח בְּרָקִ֣ים וְיֵלֵ֑כוּ וְיֹאמְר֖וּ לְךָ֣ הִנֵּֽנוּ׃

Can you send out lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?

36 מִי־שָׁ֭ת בַּטֻּחֹ֣ות חָכְמָ֑ה אֹ֤ו מִֽי־נָתַ֖ן לַשֶּׂ֣כְוִי בִינָֽה׃

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

37 מִֽי־יְסַפֵּ֣ר שְׁחָקִ֣ים בְּחָכְמָ֑ה וְנִבְלֵ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם מִ֣י יַשְׁכִּֽיב׃

Who can count the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the containers of the sky,

38 בְּצֶ֣קֶת עָ֭פָר לַמּוּצָ֑ק וּרְגָבִ֥ים יְדֻבָּֽקוּ׃

when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods of earth stick together?

39 הֲתָצ֣וּד לְלָבִ֣יא טָ֑רֶף וְחַיַּ֖ת כְּפִירִ֣ים תְּמַלֵּֽא׃

“Can you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

40 כִּי־יָשֹׁ֥חוּ בַמְּעֹונֹ֑ות יֵשְׁב֖וּ בַסֻּכָּ֣ה לְמֹו־אָֽרֶב׃

when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket?

41 מִ֤י יָכִ֥ין לָעֹרֵ֗ב צֵ֫ידֹ֥ו כִּֽי־יְלָדֹו (יְ֭לָדָיו) אֶל־אֵ֣ל יְשַׁוֵּ֑עוּ יִ֝תְע֗וּ לִבְלִי־אֹֽכֶל׃

Who provides for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food?