Job 36:24–40:2
24 “Remember to umagnify His work,
Of which men have sung.
Man looks on it from afar.
26 “Behold, God is great, and we vdo not know Him;
wNor can the number of His years be discovered.
27 For He xdraws up drops of water,
Which distill as rain from the mist,
28 yWhich the clouds drop down
And pour abundantly on man.
29 Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
The thunder from His canopy?
30 Look, He zscatters His light upon it,
And covers the depths of the sea.
31 For aby these He judges the peoples;
He bgives food in abundance.
32 cHe covers His hands with lightning,
And commands it to 8strike.
33 dHis thunder declares it,
The cattle also, concerning 9the rising storm.
37 “At this also my heart trembles, And leaps from its place.
2 Hear attentively the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that comes from His mouth.
3 He sends it forth under the whole heaven,
His 1lightning to the ends of the earth.
4 After it aa voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard.
5 God thunders marvelously with His voice;
bHe does great things which we cannot comprehend.
6 For cHe says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;
Likewise to the 2gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.
7 He seals the hand of every man,
dThat eall men may know His work.
8 The beasts fgo into dens,
And remain in their lairs.
9 From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind,
And cold from the scattering winds of the north.
10 gBy the breath of God ice is given,
And the broad waters are frozen.
11 Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds;
He scatters His 3bright clouds.
12 And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance,
That they may hdo whatever He commands them
On the face of 4the whole earth.
13 iHe causes it to come,
Whether for 5correction,
Or jfor His land,
Or kfor mercy.
Stand still and lconsider the wondrous works of God.
15 Do you know when God 6dispatches them,
And causes the light of His cloud to shine?
16 mDo you know how the clouds are balanced,
Those wondrous works of nHim who is perfect in knowledge?
When He quiets the earth by the south wind?
18 With Him, have you ospread out the pskies,
Strong as a cast metal mirror?
19 “Teach us what we should say to Him,
For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness.
20 Should He be told that I wish to speak?
If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.
21 Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies,
When the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 He comes from the north as golden splendor;
With God is awesome majesty.
23 As for the Almighty, qwe cannot find Him;
rHe is excellent in power,
In judgment and abundant justice;
He does not oppress.
24 Therefore men sfear Him;
He shows no partiality to any who are twise of heart.”
The Lord Reveals His Omnipotence to Job
38 Then the Lord answered Job aout of the whirlwind, and said:
2 “Who bis this who darkens counsel
By cwords without knowledge?
3 dNow 1prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
4 “Where ewere you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the 2line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all fthe sons of God shouted for joy?
8 “Or gwho shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
9 When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
10 When hI fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
‘This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves imust stop!’
12 “Have you jcommanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And kthe wicked be shaken out of it?
14 It takes on form like clay under a seal,
And stands out like a garment.
15 From the wicked their llight is withheld,
And mthe 3upraised arm is broken.
16 “Have you nentered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?
17 Have othe gates of death been 4revealed to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.
19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
20 That you may take it to its territory,
That you may know the paths to its home?
21 Do you know it, because you were born then,
Or because the number of your days is great?
22 “Have you entered pthe treasury of snow,
Or have you seen the treasury of hail,
23 qWhich I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?
24 By what way is light 5diffused,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?
25 “Who rhas divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
26 To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in which there is no man;
27 sTo satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
28 tHas the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
And the ufrost of heaven, who gives it birth?
30 The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of the deep is vfrozen. 6
31 “Can you bind the cluster of the wPleiades, 7
Or loose the belt of Orion?
32 Can you bring out 8Mazzaroth in its season?
Or can you guide 9the Great Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know xthe ordinances of the heavens?
Can you set their dominion over the earth?
34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
That an abundance of water may cover you?
35 Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?
36 yWho has put wisdom in 1the mind?
Or who has given understanding to the heart?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
38 When the dust hardens in clumps,
And the clods cling together?
39 “Can zyou hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they crouch in their dens,
Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?
41 aWho provides food for the raven,
When its young ones cry to God,
And wander about for lack of food?
39 “Do you know the time when the wild amountain goats bear young?
Or can you mark when bthe deer gives birth?
2 Can you number the months that they fulfill?
Or do you know the time when they bear young?
They bring forth their young,
They deliver their 1offspring.
4 Their young ones are healthy,
They grow strong with grain;
They depart and do not return to them.
5 “Who set the wild donkey free?
Who loosed the bonds of the 2onager,
6 cWhose home I have made the wilderness,
And the 3barren land his dwelling?
7 He scorns the tumult of the city;
He does not heed the shouts of the driver.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searches after devery green thing.
9 “Will the ewild ox be willing to serve you?
Will he bed by your manger?
10 Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes?
Or will he plow the valleys behind you?
11 Will you trust him because his strength is great?
Or will you leave your labor to him?
12 Will you trust him to bring home your 4grain,
And gather it to your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s?
14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground,
And warms them in the dust;
15 She forgets that a foot may crush them,
Or that a wild beast may break them.
16 She ftreats her young harshly, as though they were not hers;
Her labor is in vain, without 5concern,
17 Because God deprived her of wisdom,
And did not gendow her with understanding.
18 When she lifts herself on high,
She scorns the horse and its rider.
19 “Have you given the horse strength?
Have you clothed his neck with 6thunder?
20 Can you 7frighten him like a locust?
His majestic snorting strikes terror.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
hHe gallops into the clash of arms.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;
Nor does he turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him,
The glittering spear and javelin.
24 He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;
Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.
25 At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’
He smells the battle from afar,
The thunder of captains and shouting.
26 “Does the hawk fly by your wisdom,
And spread its wings toward the south?
27 Does the ieagle mount up at your command,
And jmake its nest on high?
28 On the rock it dwells and resides,
On the crag of the rock and the stronghold.
29 From there it spies out the prey;
Its eyes observe from afar.
30 Its young ones suck up blood;
And kwhere the slain are, there it is.”
40 Moreover the Lord aanswered Job, and said:
2 “Shall bthe one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who crebukes God, let him answer it.”