< Job 40 >

1 Moreover Jehovah spake to Job, and said:
Moreover, the LORD answered Job, and said,
2 Will the censurer of the Almighty contend with him? Will the reprover of God answer?
Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct [him]? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
3 Then Job answered Jehovah, and said:
Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
4 Behold, I am vile! what can I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.
Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.
5 Once have I spoken, but I will not speak again; Yea, twice, but I will say no more.
Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yes, twice; but I will proceed no further.
6 Then spake Jehovah to Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
7 Gird up now thy loins like a man! I will ask thee, and do thou instruct me!
Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou to me.
8 Wilt thou even disannul my right? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayst be righteous?
Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
9 Hast thou an arm like God's? Or canst thou thunder with thy voice like him?
Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like his?
10 Deck thyself with grandeur and majesty, And array thyself in splendor and glory!
Deck thyself now [with] majesty and excellence; and array thyself with glory and beauty.
11 Send forth the fury of thy wrath! Look upon every proud one, and abase him!
Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one [that is] proud, and abase him.
12 Look upon every proud one, and bring him low; Yea, tread down the wicked in their place!
Look on every one [that is] proud, [and] bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.
13 Hide them in the dust together; Shut up their faces in darkness!
Hide them in the dust together; bind their faces in secret.
14 Then, indeed, will I give thee the praise, That thine own right hand can save thee.
Then will I also confess to thee that thy own right hand can save thee.
15 Behold the river-horse, which I have made as well as thyself; He feedeth on grass like the ox.
Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.
16 Behold, what strength is in his loins! And what force in the muscles of his belly!
Lo now, his strength [is] in his loins, and his force [is] in the navel of his belly.
17 He bendeth his tail, like the cedar, And the sinews of his thighs are twisted together.
He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his male organs are wrapped together.
18 His bones are pipes of brass, And his limbs are bars of iron.
His bones [are as] strong pieces of brass; his bones [are] like bars of iron.
19 He is chief among the works of God; He that made him gave him his sword.
He [is] the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach [him].
20 For the mountains supply him with food, Where all the beasts of the field play.
Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.
21 He lieth down under the lote-plants, In the covert of reeds, and in the fens.
He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.
22 The lote-plants cover him with their shadow, And the willows of the brook compass him about.
The shady trees cover him [with] their shadow; the willows of the brook encompass him.
23 Lo! the stream overfloweth, but he starteth not; He is unmoved though Jordan rush forth even to his mouth.
Behold, he drinketh up a river, [and] hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.
24 Can one take him before his eyes, Or pierce his nose with hooks?
He taketh it with his eyes: [his] nose pierceth through snares.

< Job 40 >