Job 40
1 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
And the Lord God answered Job, and said,
2 Shall he that contends with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproves God, let him answer it.
Will [any one] pervert judgment with the Mighty One? and he that reproves God, let him return it for answer.
3 Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
And Job answered and said to the Lord,
4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer you? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Why do I yet plead? being rebuked even while reproving the Lord: hearing such things, whereas I am nothing: and what shall I answer to these [arguments]? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.
5 Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
I have spoken once; but I will not do so a second time.
6 Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
And the Lord yet again answered and spoke to Job out of the cloud, [saying],
7 Gird up your loins now like a man: I will demand of you, and declare you unto me.
Nay, gird up now thy loins like a man; and I will ask thee, and do thou answer me.
8 Will you also nullify my judgment? will you condemn me, that you may be righteous?
Do not set aside my judgment: and dost thou think that I have dealt with thee in any other way, than that thou mightest appear to be righteous?
9 Have you an arm like God? or can you thunder with a voice like him?
Hast thou an arm like the Lord's? or dost thou thunder with a voice like his?
10 Deck yourself now with majesty and excellency; and array yourself with glory and beauty.
Assume now a lofty bearing and power; and clothe thyself with glory and honour.
11 Cast abroad the rage of your wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and bring low him.
And send forth messengers with wrath; and lay low every haughty one.
12 Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.
Bring down also the proud man; and consume at once the ungodly.
13 Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret.
And hide them together in the earth; and fill their faces with shame.
14 Then will I also confess unto you that your own right hand can save you.
[Then] will I confess that thy right hand can save [thee].
15 Behold now behemoth, which I made with you; he eats grass as an ox.
But now look at the wild beasts with thee; they eat grass like oxen.
16 Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
Behold now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
17 He moves his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
He sets up his tail like a cypress; and his nerves are wrapped together.
18 His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.
His sides are sides of brass; and his backbone is [as] cast iron.
19 He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.
This is the chief of the creation of the Lord; made to be played with by his angels.
20 Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.
And when he has gone up to a steep mountain, he causes joy to the quadrupeds in the deep.
21 He lies under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.
He lies under trees of every kind, by the papyrus, and reed, and bulrush.
22 The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.
And the great trees make a shadow over him with their branches, and [so do] the bushes of the field.
23 Behold, he drinks up a river, and hastes not: he trusts that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.
If there should be a flood, he will not perceive it; he trust that Jordan will rush up into his mouth.
24 He takes it with his eyes: his nose pierces through snares.
[Yet one] shall take him in his sight; [one] shall catch [him] with a cord, and pierce his nose.
