Job 38
1 Then the LORD 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 answer thou 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 hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
Who determined its dimensions? Tell me, if you know. Who stretched the measuring line over it?
6 Whereupon are 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 the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
when I made clouds its clothing, and thick darkness its swaddling bands?
10 And brake up for it my decreed [place], 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; [and] caused the dayspring to know his 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, that the wicked might 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 turned as clay [to] the seal; and they stand 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 shall be 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 search of the depth?
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 opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors 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 perceived the breadth of the earth? 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 [where] light dwelleth? 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 know 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 Knowest thou [it], because thou wast then born? or [because] 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 into the treasures 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, [which] scattereth the east wind 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 divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of 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 the earth, [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 desolate and waste [ground; ] and to cause the bud of the tender herb 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 are hid as [with] a 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 sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
Can you fasten chains on the Pleiades, or undo the cords of Orion?
32 Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
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 heaven? canst thou set 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 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 heart?
Who has put wisdom in the clouds or has given understanding to the mists?
37 Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay 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 groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?
when the dust runs into a hard mass and the clods of earth clump tightly together?
39 Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill 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 food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
Who provides victims for the ravens when their young ones cry out to God and stagger about for lack of food?
