Job 38
1 And the Lord made answer to Job out of the storm-wind, and said,
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind,
2 Who is this who makes the purpose of God dark by words without knowledge?
"Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Get your strength together like a man of war; I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.
Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you answer me.
4 Where were you when I put the earth on its base? Say, if you have knowledge.
"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding.
5 By whom were its measures fixed? Say, if you have wisdom; or by whom was the line stretched out over it?
Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?
6 On what were its pillars based, or who put down its angle-stone,
Whereupon were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars made songs together, and all the sons of the gods gave cries of joy?
when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 Or where were you when the sea came to birth, pushing out from its secret place;
"Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth from the womb,
9 When I made the cloud its robe, and put thick clouds as bands round it,
when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness,
10 Ordering a fixed limit for it, with locks and doors;
marked out for it my bound, set bars and doors,
11 And said, So far you may come, and no farther; and here the pride of your waves will be stopped?
and said, 'Here you may come, but no further. Here your proud waves shall be stayed?'
12 Have you, from your earliest days, given orders to the morning, or made the dawn conscious of its place;
"Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place;
13 So that it might take a grip of the skirts of the earth, shaking all the evil-doers out of it?
that it might take hold of the farthest parts of the earth, and shake the wicked out of it?
14 It is changed like wet earth under a stamp, and is coloured like a robe;
It is changed as clay under the seal, and stands forth as a garment.
15 And from the evil-doers their light is kept back, and the arm of pride is broken.
From the wicked, their light is withheld. The high arm is broken.
16 Have you come into the springs of the sea, walking in the secret places of the deep?
"Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Have the doors of death been open to you, or have the door-keepers of the dark ever seen you?
Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?
18 Have you taken note of the wide limits of the earth? Say, if you have knowledge of it all.
Have you comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if you know it all.
19 Which is the way to the resting-place of the light, and where is the store-house of the dark;
"What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is its place,
20 So that you might take it to its limit, guiding it to its house?
that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house?
21 No doubt you have knowledge of it, for then you had come to birth, and the number of your days is great.
Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great.
22 Have you come into the secret place of snow, or have you seen the store-houses of the ice-drops,
Have you entered the treasuries of the snow, or have you seen the treasures of the hail,
23 Which I have kept for the time of trouble, for the day of war and fighting?
which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24 Which is the way to the place where the wind is measured out, and the east wind sent out over the earth?
By what way is the lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth?
25 By whom has the way been cut for the flowing of the rain, and the flaming of the thunder;
Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunderstorm;
26 Causing rain to come on a land where no man is living, on the waste land which has no people;
To cause it to rain on a land where no man is; on the wilderness, in which there is no man;
27 To give water to the land where there is waste and destruction, and to make the dry land green with young grass?
to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, to cause the tender grass to spring forth?
28 Has the rain a father? or who gave birth to the drops of night mist?
Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew?
29 Out of whose body came the ice? and who gave birth to the cold mist of heaven?
Out of whose womb came the ice? The gray frost of the sky, who has given birth to it?
30 The waters are joined together, hard as a stone, and the face of the deep is covered.
The waters become hard like stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen.
31 Are the bands of the Pleiades fixed by you, or are the cords of Orion made loose?
"Can you fasten the chains of Kimah, or loosen the cords of Kesil?
32 Do you make Mazzaroth come out in its right time, or are the Bear and its children guided by you?
Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? Or can you lead Aysh with her children?
33 Have you knowledge of the laws of the heavens? did you give them rule over the earth?
Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth?
34 Is your voice sent up to the cloud, so that you may be covered by the weight of waters?
"Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover you?
35 Do you send out the thunder-flames, so that they may go, and say to you, Here we are?
Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, 'Here we are?'
36 Who has put wisdom in the high clouds, or given knowledge to the lights of the north?
Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind?
37 By whose wisdom are the clouds numbered, or the water-skins of the heavens turned to the earth,
Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of the sky,
38 When the earth becomes hard as metal, and is joined together in masses?
when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods of earth stick together?
39 Do you go after food for the she-lion, or get meat so that the young lions may have enough,
"Can you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they are stretched out in their holes, and are waiting in the brushwood?
when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket?
41 Who gives in the evening the meat he is searching for, when his young ones are crying to God; when the young lions with loud noise go wandering after their food?
Who provides for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food?
