Job 40

1 And Yahweh responded to Job, and said: —

And the Lord addressed Job, and said,

2 Shall a reprover contend, with the Almighty? He that disputeth with GOD, let him answer it!

Will he that contendeth with the Almighty yet find fault? him that reproveth God answer this.

3 Then Job responded to Yahweh, and said: —

Then answered Job the Lord, and said,

4 Lo! I am of no account, what shall I reply to thee? My hand, have I laid on my mouth:

Behold, I am too vile: what shall I answer thee? my hand do I place on my mouth.

5 Once, have I spoken, but I will not proceed, yea twice, but I will not add.

Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will not repeat it again.

6 So then Yahweh responded to Job, out of a storm, and said: —

Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the storm-wind, and said,

7 Gird, I pray thee—as a strong man—thy loins, I will ask thee, and inform thou me.

Do but gird up like a mighty man thy loins: I will ask thee, and do thou inform me.

8 Wilt thou even frustrate my justice? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest appear right?

Wilt thou indeed annul my decree? wilt thou condemn me, in order that thou mayest appear righteous?

9 But if, an arm like GOD, thou hast, and, with a voice like his, thou canst thunder,

But if thou hast an arm like God, or if thou canst thunder loudly like him:

10 Deck thyself, I pray thee, with majesty and grandeur, Yea, with dignity and splendour, thou shalt clothe thyself;

Then do deck thyself with excellence and greatness, and clothe thyself in majesty and glory.

11 Pour out thy transports of anger, and look on every one who is high, and lay him low;

Scatter abroad the ragings of thy wrath, and look on every proud one, and humble him.

12 Look on every one who is high, and humble him, yea tread down the lawless, on the spot:

Look on every proud one, and bend him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.

13 Hide them in the dust all together, Their faces, bind thou in darkness;

Hide them in the dust altogether: bind up their faces in concealment.

14 And, even I myself, will praise thee, in that thine own right hand can bring thee salvation.

Then will I also myself praise thee, when thy own right hand hath helped thee.

15 Behold, I pray thee, the Hippopotamus, which I made with thee, Grass—like the ox, he eateth;

Only behold Behemoth, which I made near thee: grass he eateth like the ox.

16 Behold, I pray thee, his strength in his loins, and his force, in the muscles of his belly;

Only see, [how great] is his strength in his loins, and his force, in the muscles of his belly.

17 He bendeth down his tail like a cedar, the sinews of his thighs, are twisted together;

He stretcheth out his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his loins are closely wrapped together.

18 His bones, are barrels of bronze, his frame, is like hammered bars of iron:

His bones are like pipes of brass: his frame is like bars of iron.

19 He, is the beginning of the ways of GOD, Let his maker, present him his sword:

He is the first in rank of the works of God: he that made him can alone bring his sword near unto him.

20 Surely the mountains bring, produce, to him, where, all the wild beasts of the field, do play;

But truly the mountains bear for him his food, and all the beasts of the field play there.

21 Under the lotus-trees, he lieth down, in a covert of reed and swamp;

Under shady trees he lieth down, in the covert of the reeds, and swamp.

22 The lotus-trees cover him with their shade, the willows of the torrent-bed compass him about;

Shady trees cover him as his shadow: willows of the brook encompass him about.

23 Lo! the river becometh insolent—he is not alarmed! He is confident, though a Jordan burst forth to his mouth:

Behold, a river sweepeth violently along, but he hasteneth not away: he remaineth quiet, though a Jordan rusheth up to his mouth.

24 Before his eyes, shall he be caught? With a hook, can one pierce his nose?

Can one catch him before his eyes? pierce his nose by means of snares?—