< Job 40 >

1 Moreover YHWH answered Job, and said,
And Yahweh responded to Job, and said: —
2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth Eloah, let him answer it.
Shall a reprover contend, with the Almighty? He that disputeth with GOD, let him answer it!
3 Then Job answered YHWH, and said,
Then Job responded to Yahweh, and said: —
4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Lo! I am of no account, what shall I reply to thee? My hand, have I laid on my mouth:
5 Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
Once, have I spoken, but I will not proceed, yea twice, but I will not add.
6 Then answered YHWH unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
So then Yahweh responded to Job, out of a storm, and said: —
7 Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Gird, I pray thee—as a strong man—thy loins, I will ask thee, and inform thou me.
8 Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
Wilt thou even frustrate my justice? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest appear right?
9 Hast thou an arm like El? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
But if, an arm like GOD, thou hast, and, with a voice like his, thou canst thunder,
10 Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.
Deck thyself, I pray thee, with majesty and grandeur, Yea, with dignity and splendour, thou shalt clothe thyself;
11 Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.
Pour out thy transports of anger, and look on every one who is high, and lay him low;
12 Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.
Look on every one who is high, and humble him, yea tread down the lawless, on the spot:
13 Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret.
Hide them in the dust all together, Their faces, bind thou in darkness;
14 Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.
And, even I myself, will praise thee, in that thine own right hand can bring thee salvation.
15 Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.
Behold, I pray thee, the Hippopotamus, which I made with thee, Grass—like the ox, he eateth;
16 Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
Behold, I pray thee, his strength in his loins, and his force, in the muscles of his belly;
17 He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
He bendeth down his tail like a cedar, the sinews of his thighs, are twisted together;
18 His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.
His bones, are barrels of bronze, his frame, is like hammered bars of iron:
19 He is the chief of the ways of El: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.
He, is the beginning of the ways of GOD, Let his maker, present him his sword:
20 Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.
Surely the mountains bring, produce, to him, where, all the wild beasts of the field, do play;
21 He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.
Under the lotus-trees, he lieth down, in a covert of reed and swamp;
22 The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.
The lotus-trees cover him with their shade, the willows of the torrent-bed compass him about;
23 Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.
Lo! the river becometh insolent—he is not alarmed! He is confident, though a Jordan burst forth to his mouth:
24 He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.
Before his eyes, shall he be caught? With a hook, can one pierce his nose?

< Job 40 >