אִיּוֹב 38

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

And YHWH answers Job out of the whirlwind and says:

2 מִ֤י זֶ֨ה ׀ מַחְשִׁ֖יךְ עֵצָ֥ה בְמִלִּ֗ין בְּֽלִי־דָֽעַת׃

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

3 אֱזָר־נָ֣א כְגֶ֣בֶר חֲלָצֶ֑יךָ וְ֝אֶשְׁאָלְךָ֗ וְהֹודִיעֵֽנִי׃

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8 וַיָּ֣סֶךְ בִּדְלָתַ֣יִם יָ֑ם בְּ֝גִיחֹ֗ו מֵרֶ֥חֶם יֵצֵֽא׃

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

9 בְּשׂוּמִ֣י עָנָ֣ן לְבֻשֹׁ֑ו וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל חֲתֻלָּתֹֽו׃

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

10 וָאֶשְׁבֹּ֣ר עָלָ֣יו חֻקִּ֑י וָֽ֝אָשִׂ֗ים בְּרִ֣יחַ וּדְלָתָֽיִם׃

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

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

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

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

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

13 לֶ֭אֱחֹז בְּכַנְפֹ֣ות הָאָ֑רֶץ וְיִנָּעֲר֖וּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

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

14 תִּ֭תְהַפֵּךְ כְּחֹ֣מֶר חֹותָ֑ם וְ֝יִֽתְיַצְּב֗וּ כְּמֹ֣ו לְבֽוּשׁ׃

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

15 וְיִמָּנַ֣ע מֵרְשָׁעִ֣ים אֹורָ֑ם וּזְרֹ֥ועַ רָ֝מָ֗ה תִּשָּׁבֵֽר׃

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

16 הֲ֭בָאתָ עַד־נִבְכֵי־יָ֑ם וּבְחֵ֥קֶר תְּ֝הֹ֗ום הִתְהַלָּֽכְתָּ׃

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

17 הֲנִגְל֣וּ לְ֭ךָ שַׁעֲרֵי־מָ֑וֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵ֖י צַלְמָ֣וֶת תִּרְאֶֽה׃

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

21 יָ֭דַעְתָּ כִּי־אָ֣ז תִּוָּלֵ֑ד וּמִסְפַּ֖ר יָמֶ֣יךָ רַבִּֽים׃

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

22 הֲ֭בָאתָ אֶל־אֹצְרֹ֣ות שָׁ֑לֶג וְאֹצְרֹ֖ות בָּרָ֣ד תִּרְאֶֽה׃

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

23 אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׂ֥כְתִּי לְעֶת־צָ֑ר לְיֹ֥ום קְ֝רָ֗ב וּמִלְחָמָֽה׃

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

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

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

25 מִֽי־פִלַּ֣ג לַשֶּׁ֣טֶף תְּעָלָ֑ה וְ֝דֶ֗רֶךְ לַחֲזִ֥יז קֹלֹֽות׃

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

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

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

27 לְהַשְׂבִּ֣יעַ שֹׁ֖אָה וּמְשֹׁאָ֑ה וּ֝לְהַצְמִ֗יחַ מֹ֣צָא דֶֽשֶׁא׃

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

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

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

29 מִבֶּ֣טֶן מִ֭י יָצָ֣א הַקָּ֑רַח וּכְפֹ֥ר שָׁ֝מַיִם מִ֣י יְלָדֹֽו׃

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

30 כָּ֭אֶבֶן מַ֣יִם יִתְחַבָּ֑אוּ וּפְנֵ֥י תְ֝הֹ֗ום יִתְלַכָּֽדוּ׃

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

31 הַֽ֭תְקַשֵּׁר מַעֲדַנֹּ֣ות כִּימָ֑ה אֹֽו־מֹשְׁכֹ֖ות כְּסִ֣יל תְּפַתֵּֽחַ׃

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

32 הֲתֹצִ֣יא מַזָּרֹ֣ות בְּעִתֹּ֑ו וְ֝עַ֗יִשׁ עַל־בָּנֶ֥יהָ תַנְחֵֽם׃

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

33 הֲ֭יָדַעְתָּ חֻקֹּ֣ות שָׁמָ֑יִם אִם־תָּשִׂ֖ים מִשְׁטָרֹ֣ו בָאָֽרֶץ׃

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

34 הֲתָרִ֣ים לָעָ֣ב קֹולֶ֑ךָ וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַ֥יִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃

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

35 הֽ͏ַתְשַׁלַּ֣ח בְּרָקִ֣ים וְיֵלֵ֑כוּ וְיֹאמְר֖וּ לְךָ֣ הִנֵּֽנוּ׃

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

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 covered part?

37 מִֽי־יְסַפֵּ֣ר שְׁחָקִ֣ים בְּחָכְמָ֑ה וְנִבְלֵ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם מִ֣י יַשְׁכִּֽיב׃

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

38 בְּצֶ֣קֶת עָ֭פָר לַמּוּצָ֑ק וּרְגָבִ֥ים יְדֻבָּֽקוּ׃

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

39 הֲתָצ֣וּד לְלָבִ֣יא טָ֑רֶף וְחַיַּ֖ת כְּפִירִ֣ים תְּמַלֵּֽא׃

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

40 כִּי־יָשֹׁ֥חוּ בַמְּעֹונֹ֑ות יֵשְׁב֖וּ בַסֻּכָּ֣ה לְמֹו־אָֽרֶב׃

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

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

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