Job 38
1 Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Then Yahweh called to Job out of a fierce storm and said,
2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel By words without knowledge?
“Who is this who brings darkness to plans by means of words without knowledge?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; For I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Now gird up your loins like a man for I will ask you questions, and you must answer me.
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.
Where were you when I laid the earth's foundations? Tell me, if you have so much understanding.
5 Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched the line upon it?
Who determined its dimensions? Tell me, if you know. Who stretched the measuring line over it?
6 Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner-stone thereof,
On what were its foundations laid? Who laid its cornerstone
7 When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 Or [who] shut up the sea with doors, When it brake forth, [as if] it had issued out of the womb;
Who shut up the sea with doors when it burst out, as if it had come out of the womb—
9 When I made clouds the garment thereof, And thick darkness a swaddling-band for it,
when I made clouds its clothing, and thick darkness its swaddling bands?
10 And marked out for it my bound, And set bars and doors,
That was when I marked out for the sea my boundary, and when I placed its bars and doors,
11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; And here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
and when I said to it, 'You may come this far, but no farther; here is where I will put a boundary to the pride of your waves.'
12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days [began], [And] caused the dayspring to know its place;
Have you given orders to the morning, or caused the dawn to know its place,
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it?
so that it might take hold of the edges of the earth and shake the wicked out of it?
14 It is changed as clay under the seal; And [all things] stand forth as a garment:
The earth is changed in appearance like clay changes under a seal; all things on it stand out clearly like the folds of a piece of clothing.
15 And from the wicked their light is withholden, And the high arm is broken.
From wicked people their 'light' is taken away; their uplifted arm is broken.
16 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have you gone to the sources of the waters of the sea? Have you walked in the lowest parts of the deep?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee? Or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?
Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?
18 Hast thou comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if thou knowest it all.
Have you understood the earth in its expanse? Tell me, if you know it all.
19 Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
Where is the way to the resting place of light— as for darkness, where is its place?
20 That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, And that thou shouldest discern the paths to the house thereof?
Can you lead light and darkness to their places of work? Can you find the way back to their houses for them?
21 [Doubtless], thou knowest, for thou wast then born, And the number of thy days is great!
Undoubtedly you know, for you were born then; the number of your days is so large!
22 Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow, Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
Have you entered the storehouses for the snow, or have you seen the storehouses for the hail,
23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, Against the day of battle and war?
these things that I have kept for times of trouble, for days of battle and war?
24 By what way is the light parted, Or the east wind scattered upon the earth?
What is the path to where the lightning bolts are distributed or to where the winds are scattered from the east over the earth?
25 Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood, Or the way for the lightning of the thunder;
Who has created the channels for the floods of rain, or who has made a path for the thunder,
26 To cause it to rain on a land where no man is; On the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
to cause it to rain on lands where no person exists, and on the wilderness, in which there is no one,
27 To satisfy the waste and desolate [ground], And to cause the tender grass to spring forth?
to satisfy the devastated and desolate places, and to make the ground sprout with grass?
28 Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
Does the rain have a father, or, who fathers the drops of dew?
29 Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
Out of whose womb did the ice come? Who bore the white frost out of the sky?
30 The waters hide themselves [and become] like stone, And the face of the deep is frozen.
The waters hide themselves and become like stone; the surface of the deep becomes frozen.
31 Canst thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the bands of Orion?
Can you fasten chains on the Pleiades, or undo the cords of Orion?
32 Canst thou lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? Or canst thou guide the Bear with her train?
Can you lead the constellations to appear at their proper times? Can you guide the Bear with its children?
33 Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth?
Do you know the regulations of the sky? Could you set in place the sky's rule over the earth?
34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover thee?
Can you raise your voice up to the clouds, so that an abundance of rainwater may cover you?
35 Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go, And say unto thee, Here we are?
Can you send out bolts of lightning that they may go out, that they say to you, 'Here we are'?
36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who hath given understanding to the mind?
Who has put wisdom in the clouds or has given understanding to the mists?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
Who can number the clouds by his skill? Who can pour out the water skins of the sky
38 When the dust runneth into a mass, And the clods cleave fast together?
when the dust runs into a hard mass and the clods of earth clump tightly together?
39 Canst thou hunt the prey for the lioness, Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
Can you hunt down a victim for a lioness or satisfy the appetite of her young lion cubs
40 When they couch in their dens, [And] abide in the covert to lie in wait?
when they are crouching in their dens and sheltering in hiding to lie in wait?
41 Who provideth for the raven his prey, When his young ones cry unto God, [And] wander for lack of food?
Who provides victims for the ravens when their young ones cry out to God and stagger about for lack of food?
