Job 40

40The Lord said to Job:^a

²“Will the one who contends with the Almighty^b correct him?^c

Let him who accuses God answer him!”^d

³Then Job answered the Lord:

⁴“I am unworthy^e—how can I reply to you?

I put my hand over my mouth.^f

⁵I spoke once, but I have no answer^g—

twice, but I will say no more.”^h

⁶Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:ⁱ

⁷“Brace yourself like a man;

I will question you,

and you shall answer me.^j

⁸“Would you discredit my justice?^k

Would you condemn me to justify yourself?^l

⁹Do you have an arm like God’s,^m

and can your voiceⁿ thunder like his?^o

¹⁰Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,

and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.^p

¹¹Unleash the fury of your wrath,^q

look at all who are proud and bring them low,^r

¹²look at all who are proud^s and humble them,^t

crush^u the wicked where they stand.

¹³Bury them all in the dust together;^v

shroud their faces in the grave.^w

¹⁴Then I myself will admit to you

that your own right hand can save you.^x

¹⁵“Look at Behemoth,

which I made^y along with you

and which feeds on grass like an ox.^z

¹⁶What strength^a it has in its loins,

what power in the muscles of its belly!^b

¹⁷Its tail sways like a cedar;

the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.^c

¹⁸Its bones are tubes of bronze,

its limbs^d like rods of iron.^e

¹⁹It ranks first among the works of God,^f

yet its Maker^g can approach it with his sword.^h

²⁰The hills bring it their produce,ⁱ

and all the wild animals play^j nearby.^k

²¹Under the lotus plants it lies,

hidden among the reeds^l in the marsh.^m

²²The lotuses conceal it in their shadow;

the poplars by the streamⁿ surround it.

²³A raging river^o does not alarm it;

it is secure, though the Jordan^p should surge against its mouth.

²⁴Can anyone capture it by the eyes,

or trap it and pierce its nose?^q