אִיּוֹב 38

1 וַיַּֽעַן־יְהוָ֣ה אֶת־אִ֭יּוֹב מִ֥ן ׀ הַסְּעָרָ֗ה וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

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

2 מִ֤י זֶ֨ה ׀ מַחְשִׁ֖יךְ עֵצָ֥ה בְמִלִּ֗ין בְּֽלִי־דָֽעַת׃

Who [is] this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

3 אֱזָר־נָ֣א כְגֶ֣בֶר חֲלָצֶ֑יךָ וְ֝אֶשְׁאָלְךָ֗ וְהוֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃

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

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

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

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

Who hath laid the measures of it, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

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

Upon what are the foundations of it fastened? or who laid its corner stone;

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

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

8 וַיָּ֣סֶךְ בִּדְלָתַ֣יִם יָ֑ם בְּ֝גִיח֗וֹ מֵרֶ֥חֶם יֵצֵֽא׃

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

9 בְּשׂוּמִ֣י עָנָ֣ן לְבֻשׁ֑וֹ וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל חֲתֻלָּתֽוֹ׃

When I made a cloud its garment, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it,

10 וָאֶשְׁבֹּ֣ר עָלָ֣יו חֻקִּ֑י וָֽ֝אָשִׂ֗ים בְּרִ֣יחַ וּדְלָתָֽיִם׃

And broke up for it my decreed [place], and set bars and doors,

11 וָאֹמַ֗ר עַד־פֹּ֣ה תָ֭בוֹא וְלֹ֣א תֹסִ֑יף וּפֹ֥א־יָ֝שִׁ֗ית בִּגְא֥וֹן גַּלֶּֽיךָ׃

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

12 הְֽ֭מִיָּמֶיךָ צִוִּ֣יתָ בֹּ֑קֶר יִדַּ֖עְתָּ הַשַּׁ֣חַר מְקֹמֽוֹ׃

Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; [and] caused the day-spring to know its place;

13 לֶ֭אֱחֹז בְּכַנְפ֣וֹת הָאָ֑רֶץ וְיִנָּעֲר֖וּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

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

14 תִּ֭תְהַפֵּךְ כְּחֹ֣מֶר חוֹתָ֑ם וְ֝יִֽתְיַצְּב֗וּ כְּמ֣וֹ לְבֽוּשׁ׃

It is turned as clay [to] the seal; and they stand as a garment.

15 וְיִמָּנַ֣ע מֵרְשָׁעִ֣ים אוֹרָ֑ם וּזְר֥וֹעַ רָ֝מָ֗ה תִּשָּׁבֵֽר׃

And from the wicked their light is withheld, and the high arm shall be broken.

16 הֲ֭בָאתָ עַד־נִבְכֵי־יָ֑ם וּבְחֵ֥קֶר תְּ֝ה֗וֹם הִתְהַלָּֽכְתָּ׃

Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

17 הֲנִגְל֣וּ לְ֭ךָ שַׁעֲרֵי־מָ֑וֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵ֖י צַלְמָ֣וֶת תִּרְאֶֽה׃

Have the gates of death been opened to thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shades of death?

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

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

19 אֵי־זֶ֣ה הַ֭דֶּרֶךְ יִשְׁכָּן־א֑וֹר וְ֝חֹ֗שֶׁךְ אֵי־זֶ֥ה מְקֹמֽוֹ׃

Where [is] the way [where] light dwelleth? and [as for] darkness, where [is] its place,

20 כִּ֣י תִ֭קָּחֶנּוּ אֶל־גְּבוּל֑וֹ וְכִֽי־תָ֝בִ֗ין נְתִיב֥וֹת בֵּיתֽוֹ׃

That thou shouldest take it to its bound, and that thou shouldest know the paths [to] its house?

21 יָ֭דַעְתָּ כִּי־אָ֣ז תִּוָּלֵ֑ד וּמִסְפַּ֖ר יָמֶ֣יךָ רַבִּֽים׃

Knowest thou [it], because thou wast then born? or [because] the number of thy days [is] great?

22 הֲ֭בָאתָ אֶל־אֹצְר֣וֹת שָׁ֑לֶג וְאֹצְר֖וֹת בָּרָ֣ד תִּרְאֶֽה׃

Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

23 אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׂ֥כְתִּי לְעֶת־צָ֑ר לְי֥וֹם קְ֝רָ֗ב וּמִלְחָמָֽה׃

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

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

By what way is the light parted, [which] scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

25 מִֽי־פִלַּ֣ג לַשֶּׁ֣טֶף תְּעָלָ֑ה וְ֝דֶ֗רֶךְ לַחֲזִ֥יז קֹלֽוֹת׃

Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;

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

To cause it to rain on the earth, [where] no man [is]; [on] the wilderness in which [there is] no man;

27 לְהַשְׂבִּ֣יעַ שֹׁ֭אָה וּמְשֹׁאָ֑ה וּ֝לְהַצְמִ֗יחַ מֹ֣צָא דֶֽשֶׁא׃

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

28 הֲיֵשׁ־לַמָּטָ֥ר אָ֑ב א֥וֹ מִי־ה֝וֹלִ֗יד אֶגְלֵי־טָֽל׃

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

29 מִבֶּ֣טֶן מִ֭י יָצָ֣א הַקָּ֑רַח וּכְפֹ֥ר שָׁ֝מַיִם מִ֣י יְלָדֽוֹ׃

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

30 כָּ֭אֶבֶן מַ֣יִם יִתְחַבָּ֑אוּ וּפְנֵ֥י תְ֝ה֗וֹם יִתְלַכָּֽדוּ׃

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

31 הַֽ֭תְקַשֵּׁר מַעֲדַנּ֣וֹת כִּימָ֑ה אֽוֹ־מֹשְׁכ֖וֹת כְּסִ֣יל תְּפַתֵּֽחַ׃

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

32 הֲתֹצִ֣יא מַזָּר֣וֹת בְּעִתּ֑וֹ וְ֝עַ֗יִשׁ עַל־בָּנֶ֥יהָ תַנְחֵֽם׃

Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in its season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with its sons?

33 הֲ֭יָדַעְתָּ חֻקּ֣וֹת שָׁמָ֑יִם אִם־תָּשִׂ֖ים מִשְׁטָר֣וֹ בָאָֽרֶץ׃

Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set its dominion on the earth?

34 הֲתָרִ֣ים לָעָ֣ב קוֹלֶ֑ךָ וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַ֥יִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃

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

35 הַֽתְשַׁלַּ֣ח בְּרָקִ֣ים וְיֵלֵ֑כוּ וְיֹאמְר֖וּ לְךָ֣ הִנֵּֽנוּ׃

Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say to thee, Here we [are]?

36 מִי־שָׁ֭ת בַּטֻּח֣וֹת חָכְמָ֑ה א֤וֹ מִֽי־נָתַ֖ן לַשֶּׂ֣כְוִי בִינָֽה׃

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

37 מִֽי־יְסַפֵּ֣ר שְׁחָקִ֣ים בְּחָכְמָ֑ה וְנִבְלֵ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם מִ֣י יַשְׁכִּֽיב׃

Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,

38 בְּצֶ֣קֶת עָ֭פָר לַמּוּצָ֑ק וּרְגָבִ֥ים יְדֻבָּֽקוּ׃

When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

39 הֲתָצ֣וּד לְלָבִ֣יא טָ֑רֶף וְחַיַּ֖ת כְּפִירִ֣ים תְּמַלֵּֽא׃

Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,

40 כִּי־יָשֹׁ֥חוּ בַמְּעוֹנ֑וֹת יֵשְׁב֖וּ בַסֻּכָּ֣ה לְמוֹ־אָֽרֶב׃

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

41 מִ֤י יָכִ֥ין לָעֹרֵ֗ב צֵ֫יד֥וֹ כִּֽי־יְ֭לָדָיו אֶל־אֵ֣ל יְשַׁוֵּ֑עוּ יִ֝תְע֗וּ לִבְלִי־אֹֽכֶל׃

Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry to God, they wander for want of food.