Job 40

40The Lord continued,

²“I am the Mighty One.

Will the man who argues with me correct me?

Let him who brings charges against me answer me!”

Job’s Reply

³Job replied to the Lord,

⁴“I’m not worthy. How can I reply to you?

I’m putting my hand over my mouth. I’ll stop talking.

⁵I spoke once. But I really don’t have any answer.

I spoke twice. But I won’t say anything else.”

The Second Speech of the Lord

⁶Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said,

⁷“Get ready to stand up for yourself.

I will ask you some more questions.

Then I want you to answer me.

⁸“Would you dare to claim that I am not being fair?

Would you judge me in order to make yourself seem right?

⁹Is your arm as powerful as mine is?

Can your voice thunder as mine does?

¹⁰Then put on glory and beauty as if they were your clothes.

Also put honor and majesty on.

¹¹Let loose your great anger.

Look at those who are proud and bring them low.

¹²Look at proud people and bring them down.

Crush those who are evil right where they are.

¹³Bury their bodies in the dust together.

Cover their faces in the grave.

¹⁴Then I myself will admit to you

that your own right hand can save you.

¹⁵“Look at the behemoth. It is a huge animal.

I made both of you.

It eats grass like an ox.

¹⁶Look at the strength it has in its hips!

What power it has in the muscles of its stomach!

¹⁷Its tail sways back and forth like a cedar tree.

The tendons of its thighs are close together.

¹⁸Its bones are like tubes made out of bronze.

Its legs are like rods made out of iron.

¹⁹It ranks first among my works.

I made it. I can approach it with my sword.

²⁰The hills produce food for it.

All of the other wild animals play near it.

²¹It lies under lotus plants.

It hides in tall grass in the swamps.

²²The lotus plants hide it in their shade.

Poplar trees near streams surround it.

²³It is not afraid when the river roars.

It is secure even when the Jordan River rushes against its mouth.

²⁴Can anyone capture it by its eyes?

Can anyone trap it and poke a hole through its nose?