< Job 40 >

1 And Yahweh responded to Job, and said: —
Moreover Jehovah spake to Job, and said:
2 Shall a reprover contend, with the Almighty? He that disputeth with GOD, let him answer it!
Will the censurer of the Almighty contend with him? Will the reprover of God answer?
3 Then Job responded to Yahweh, and said: —
Then Job answered Jehovah, 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 vile! what can I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon 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 speak again; Yea, twice, but I will say no more.
6 So then Yahweh responded to Job, out of a storm, and said: —
Then spake Jehovah to Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
7 Gird, I pray thee—as a strong man—thy loins, I will ask thee, and inform thou me.
Gird up now thy loins like a man! I will ask thee, and do thou instruct me!
8 Wilt thou even frustrate my justice? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest appear right?
Wilt thou even disannul my right? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayst be righteous?
9 But if, an arm like GOD, thou hast, and, with a voice like his, thou canst thunder,
Hast thou an arm like God's? Or canst thou thunder with thy voice like him?
10 Deck thyself, I pray thee, with majesty and grandeur, Yea, with dignity and splendour, thou shalt clothe thyself;
Deck thyself with grandeur and majesty, And array thyself in splendor and glory!
11 Pour out thy transports of anger, and look on every one who is high, and lay him low;
Send forth the fury of thy wrath! Look upon every proud one, and abase him!
12 Look on every one who is high, and humble him, yea tread down the lawless, on the spot:
Look upon every proud one, and bring him low; Yea, 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 together; Shut up their faces in darkness!
14 And, even I myself, will praise thee, in that thine own right hand can bring thee salvation.
Then, indeed, will I give thee the praise, That thine own right hand can save thee.
15 Behold, I pray thee, the Hippopotamus, which I made with thee, Grass—like the ox, he eateth;
Behold the river-horse, which I have made as well as thyself; He feedeth on grass like the ox.
16 Behold, I pray thee, his strength in his loins, and his force, in the muscles of his belly;
Behold, what strength is in his loins! And what 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 bendeth his tail, like the cedar, And the sinews of his thighs are twisted together.
18 His bones, are barrels of bronze, his frame, is like hammered bars of iron:
His bones are pipes of brass, And his limbs are bars of iron.
19 He, is the beginning of the ways of GOD, Let his maker, present him his sword:
He is chief among the works of God; He that made him gave him his sword.
20 Surely the mountains bring, produce, to him, where, all the wild beasts of the field, do play;
For the mountains supply him with food, Where all the beasts of the field play.
21 Under the lotus-trees, he lieth down, in a covert of reed and swamp;
He lieth down under the lote-plants, In the covert of reeds, and in the fens.
22 The lotus-trees cover him with their shade, the willows of the torrent-bed compass him about;
The lote-plants cover him with their shadow, And the willows of the brook compass him about.
23 Lo! the river becometh insolent—he is not alarmed! He is confident, though a Jordan burst forth to his mouth:
Lo! the stream overfloweth, but he starteth not; He is unmoved though Jordan rush forth even to his mouth.
24 Before his eyes, shall he be caught? With a hook, can one pierce his nose?
Can one take him before his eyes, Or pierce his nose with hooks?

< Job 40 >