Job 40

1 Moreover the LORD answered Job,

Then Yahweh said to Job,

2 “Shall he who argues contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.”

“Do you still want to argue with me, the Almighty One? Since you criticize me, (you should be able to answer my questions!/why are you not able to answer my questions?) [RHQ]”

3 Then Job answered the LORD,

Then Job replied to Yahweh,

4 “Behold, I am of small account. What will I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth.

“[Now I realize that] I am completely worthless. So (how could I answer [those questions]?/I could not possibly answer [those questions]!) [RHQ] I will put my hand over my mouth [and not say anything].

5 I have spoken once, and I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”

I have already said more than I should have said, so now I will say nothing more.”

6 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind:

Then Yahweh [again] spoke to Job from inside the great windstorm. He said,

7 “Now brace yourself like a man. I will question you, and you will answer me.

“I want to ask you some [more] questions. So as men prepare themselves for a difficult task [MET], prepare yourself again to answer some [more] questions.

8 Will you even annul my judgement? Will you condemn me, that you may be justified?

“Are you going to accuse me and say that I am unjust? Are you going to say that what I have done is wrong, in order that you can say that what you have done is right?

9 Or do you have an arm like God? Can you thunder with a voice like him?

Are you as powerful [MTY] as I am? Can your voice sound [as loud] as thunder, as mine can?

10 “Now deck yourself with excellency and dignity. Array yourself with honour and majesty.

[If you can do that], put on the robes that show that you are glorious and are greatly honored!

11 Pour out the fury of your anger. Look at everyone who is proud, and bring him low.

Show that you are very angry; show that you have the right/authority to humble people who are [very] proud!

12 Look at everyone who is proud, and humble him. Crush the wicked in their place.

Humble those proud people [just] by looking at them [angrily] Crush wicked people quickly!

13 Hide them in the dust together. Bind their faces in the hidden place.

Bury them in the ground! Send them to the place where dead people are, where they will not be able to get out!

14 Then I will also admit to you that your own right hand can save you.

After you do that, I will congratulate/praise you and say that [truly] you can save yourself by your own ability/power.

15 “See now behemoth, which I made as well as you. He eats grass as an ox.

“Think [also] about the huge animals that live near the water. I made you, and I made them also. They eat grass, like oxen do.

16 Look now, his strength is in his thighs. His force is in the muscles of his belly.

Their legs/thighs are [very] strong, and the muscles of their bellies are [very] powerful.

17 He moves his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his thighs are knit together.

Their tails are stiff (OR, bend down) like the branches of a cedar tree. The sinews/muscles of their thighs are close together.

18 His bones are like tubes of bronze. His limbs are like bars of iron.

Their [thigh] bones are [like] tubes [made] of bronze, and the bones of their legs are like bars [made] of iron.

19 He is the chief of the ways of God. He who made him gives him his sword.

They are among the strongest of the animals that I made, and I, who created them, am the only one who can kill them.

20 Surely the mountains produce food for him, where all the animals of the field play.

On the hills grows food [PRS] for them to eat while many [HYP] other wild animals play nearby.

21 He lies under the lotus trees, in the covert of the reed, and the marsh.

They lie down [in the water] under the lotus plants; they hide in [tall] reeds in the swamps.

22 The lotuses cover him with their shade. The willows of the brook surround him.

Those huge animals find shade under the lotus plants, and they are surrounded by poplar trees.

23 Behold, if a river overflows, he doesn’t tremble. He is confident, though the Jordan swells even to his mouth.

They are not disturbed by raging/swiftly-flowing rivers; they are not even disturbed/frightened when [rivers like the] Jordan [River] rush over them.

24 Shall any take him when he is on the watch, or pierce through his nose with a snare?

No one can [RHQ] catch them by blinding their eyes or by piercing their noses with [the teeth of] a trap!”