איוב 38

1 וַיַּֽעַן־יְהוָה אֶת־אִיּוֹב מנ הסערה מִן ׀ הַסְּעָרָה וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

And after Elius had ceased from speaking, the Lord spoke to Job through the whirlwind and clouds, [saying],

2 מִי זֶה ׀ מַחְשִׁיךְ עֵצָה בְמִלִּין בְּֽלִי־דָֽעַת׃

Who is this that hides counsel from me, and confines words in [his] heart, and thinks to conceal [them] from me?

3 אֱזָר־נָא כְגֶבֶר חֲלָצֶיךָ וְאֶשְׁאָלְךָ וְהוֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃

Gird your loins like a man; and I will ask you, and do you answer me.

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

Where was you when I founded the earth? tell me now, if you have knowledge,

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

who set the measures of it, if you know? or who stretched a line upon it?

6 עַל־מָה אֲדָנֶיהָ הָטְבָּעוּ אוֹ מִֽי־יָרָה אֶבֶן פִּנָּתָֽהּ׃

On what are its rings fastened? and who is he that laid the corner-stone upon it?

7 בְּרָן־יַחַד כּוֹכְבֵי בֹקֶר וַיָּרִיעוּ כָּל־בְּנֵי אֱלֹהִֽים׃

When the stars were made, all my angels praised me with a loud voice.

8 וַיָּסֶךְ בִּדְלָתַיִם יָם בְּגִיחוֹ מֵרֶחֶם יֵצֵֽא׃

And I shut up the sea with gates, when it rushed out, coming forth out its mother's womb.

9 בְּשׂוּמִי עָנָן לְבֻשׁוֹ וַעֲרָפֶל חֲתֻלָּתֽוֹ׃

And I made a cloud its clothing, and swathed it in mist.

10 וָאֶשְׁבֹּר עָלָיו חֻקִּי וָֽאָשִׂים בְּרִיחַ וּדְלָתָֽיִם׃

And I set bounds to it, surrounding it with bars and gates.

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

And I said to it, Hitherto shall you come, but you shall not go beyond, but your waves shall be confined within you.

12 הְֽמִיָּמֶיךָ צִוִּיתָ בֹּקֶר ידעתה שחר יִדַּעְתָּה הַשַּׁחַר מְקֹמֽוֹ׃

Or did I order the morning light in your time; and [did] the morning star [then first] see his appointed place;

13 לֶאֱחֹז בְּכַנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ וְיִנָּעֲרוּ רְשָׁעִים מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

to lay hold of the extremities of the earth, to cast out the ungodly out of it?

14 תִּתְהַפֵּךְ כְּחֹמֶר חוֹתָם וְיִֽתְיַצְּבוּ כְּמוֹ לְבֽוּשׁ׃

Or did you take clay of the ground, and form a living creature, and set it with the power of speech upon the earth?

15 וְיִמָּנַע מֵרְשָׁעִים אוֹרָם וּזְרוֹעַ רָמָה תִּשָּׁבֵֽר׃

And have you removed light from the ungodly, and crushed the arm of the proud?

16 הֲבָאתָ עַד־נִבְכֵי־יָם וּבְחֵקֶר תְּהוֹם הִתְהַלָּֽכְתָּ׃

Or have you gone to the source of the sea, and walked in the tracks of the deep?

17 הֲנִגְלוּ לְךָ שַׁעֲרֵי־מָוֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵי צַלְמָוֶת תִּרְאֶֽה׃

And do the gates of death open to you for fear; and did the porters of hell quake when they saw you? (questioned)

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

And have you been instructed in the breadth of the [whole earth] under heaven? tell me now, what is the extent of it?

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

And in what kind of a land does the light dwell? and of what kind is the place of darkness?

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

If you could bring me to their [utmost] boundaries, and if also you know their paths;

21 יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־אָז תִּוָּלֵד וּמִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ רַבִּֽים׃

I know then that you were born at that time, and the number of your years is great.

22 הֲבָאתָ אֶל־אֹצְרוֹת שָׁלֶג וְאֹצְרוֹת בָּרָד תִּרְאֶֽה׃

But have you gone to the treasures of snow? and have you seen the treasures of hail?

23 אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׂכְתִּי לְעֶת־צָר לְיוֹם קְרָב וּמִלְחָמָֽה׃

And is there a store [of them], for you against the time of [your] enemies, for the day of wars and battle?

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

And whence proceeds the frost? or [whence] is the south wind dispersed over the [whole world] under heaven?

25 מִֽי־פִלַּג לַשֶּׁטֶף תְּעָלָה וְדֶרֶךְ לַחֲזִיז קֹלֽוֹת׃

And who prepared a course for the violent rain, and a way for the thunders;

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

to rain upon the land where [there is] no man, the wilderness, where there is not a man in it; so as to feed the untrodden and uninhabited [land],

27 לְהַשְׂבִּיעַ שֹׁאָה וּמְשֹׁאָה וּלְהַצְמִיחַ מֹצָא דֶֽשֶׁא׃

and cause it to send forth a crop of green herbs?

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

Who is the rain's father? and who has generated the drops of dew?

29 מִבֶּטֶן מִי יָצָא הַקָּרַח וּכְפֹר שָׁמַיִם מִי יְלָדֽוֹ׃

And out of whose womb comes the ice? and who has produced the frost in the sky,

30 כָּאֶבֶן מַיִם יִתְחַבָּאוּ וּפְנֵי תְהוֹם יִתְלַכָּֽדוּ׃

which descends like flowing water? who has terrified the face of the ungodly?

31 הַֽתְקַשֵּׁר מַעֲדַנּוֹת כִּימָה אֽוֹ־מֹשְׁכוֹת כְּסִיל תְּפַתֵּֽחַ׃

And do you understand the band of Pleias, and have you opened the barrier of Orion?

32 הֲתֹצִיא מַזָּרוֹת בְּעִתּוֹ וְעַיִשׁ עַל־בָּנֶיהָ תַנְחֵֽם׃

Or will you reveal Mazuroth in his season, and the evening star with his rays? Will you guide them?

33 הֲיָדַעְתָּ חֻקּוֹת שָׁמָיִם אִם־תָּשִׂים מִשְׁטָרוֹ בָאָֽרֶץ׃

And know you the changes of heaven, or the events which take place together under heaven?

34 הֲתָרִים לָעָב קוֹלֶךָ וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַיִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃

And will you call a cloud with your voice, and will it obey you with a violent shower of much rain?

35 הֽ͏ַתְשַׁלַּח בְּרָקִים וְיֵלֵכוּ וְיֹאמְרוּ לְךָ הִנֵּֽנוּ׃

And will you send lightnings, and they shall go? and shall they say to you, What is [your pleasure]?

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

And who has given to women skill in weaving, or knowledge of embroidery?

37 מִֽי־יְסַפֵּר שְׁחָקִים בְּחָכְמָה וְנִבְלֵי שָׁמַיִם מִי יַשְׁכִּֽיב׃

And who is he that numbers the clouds in wisdom, and has bowed the heaven [down] to the earth?

38 בְּצֶקֶת עָפָר לַמּוּצָק וּרְגָבִים יְדֻבָּֽקוּ׃

For it is spread out as dusty earth, and I have cemented it as one hewn stone to another.

39 הֲתָצוּד לְלָבִיא טָרֶף וְחַיַּת כְּפִירִים תְּמַלֵּֽא׃

And will you hunt a prey for the lions? and satisfy the desires of the serpents?

40 כִּי־יָשֹׁחוּ בַמְּעוֹנוֹת יֵשְׁבוּ בַסֻּכָּה לְמוֹ־אָֽרֶב׃

For they fear in their lairs, and lying in wait couch in the woods.

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

And who has prepared food for the raven? for its young ones wander and cry to the Lord, in search of food.