Job 38–40

¹And Jehovah answereth Job out of the whirlwind, and saith:— ²Who is this—darkening counsel, By words without knowledge? ³Gird, I pray thee, as a man, thy loins, And I ask thee, and cause thou Me to know.

⁴Where wast thou when I founded earth? Declare, if thou hast known understanding. ⁵Who placed its measures—if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched out upon it a line? ⁶On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who hath cast its corner-stone? ⁷In the singing together of stars of morning, And all sons of God shout for joy, ⁸And He shutteth up with doors the sea, In its coming forth, from the womb it goeth out. ⁹In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band, ¹⁰And I measure over it My statute, And place bar and doors, ¹¹And say, ‘Hitherto come thou, and add not, And a command is placed On the pride of thy billows.’

¹²Hast thou commanded morning since thy days? Causest thou the dawn to know its place? ¹³To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it, ¹⁴It turneth itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed. ¹⁵And withheld from the wicked is their light, And the arm lifted up is broken. ¹⁶Hast thou come in to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Hast thou walked up and down? ¹⁷Revealed to thee were the gates of death? And the gates of death-shade dost thou see? ¹⁸Thou hast understanding, Even unto the broad places of earth! Declare—if thou hast known it all. ¹⁹Where is this—the way light dwelleth? And darkness, where is this—its place? ²⁰That thou dost take it unto its boundary, And that thou dost understand The paths of its house. ²¹Thou hast known—for then thou art born And the number of thy days are many! ²²Hast thou come in unto the treasure of snow? Yea, the treasures of hail dost thou see? ²³That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle. ²⁴Where is this, the way light is apportioned? It scattereth an east wind over the earth.

²⁵Who hath divided for the flood a conduit? And a way for the lightning of the voices? ²⁶To cause it to rain on a land—no man, A wilderness—no man in it. ²⁷To satisfy a desolate and waste place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass? ²⁸Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew? ²⁹From whose belly came forth the ice? And the hoar-frost of the heavens, Who hath begotten it? ³⁰As a stone waters are hidden, And the face of the deep is captured. ³¹Dost thou bind sweet influences of Kimah? Or the attractions of Kesil dost thou open? ³²Dost thou bring out Mazzaroth in its season? And Aysh for her sons dost thou comfort? ³³Hast thou known the statutes of heaven? Or dost thou appoint Its dominion in the earth? ³⁴Dost thou lift up to the cloud thy voice, And abundance of water doth cover thee? ³⁵Dost thou send out lightnings, and they go And say unto thee, ‘Behold us?’ ³⁶Who hath put in the inward parts wisdom? Or who hath given To the covered part understanding? ³⁷Who doth number the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who doth cause to lie down, ³⁸In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together? ³⁹Dost thou hunt for a lion prey? And the desire of young lions fulfil? ⁴⁰When they bow down in dens—Abide in a thicket for a covert? ⁴¹Who doth prepare for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry unto God? They wander without food.

Chapter 39

¹Hast thou known the time of The bearing of the wild goats of the rock? The bringing forth of hinds thou dost mark! ²Thou dost number the months they fulfil? And thou hast known the time of their bringing forth! ³They bow down, Their young ones they bring forth safely, Their pangs they cast forth. ⁴Safe are their young ones, They grow up in the field, they have gone out, And have not returned to them. ⁵Who hath sent forth the wild ass free? Yea, the bands of the wild ass who opened? ⁶Whose house I have made the wilderness, And his dwellings the barren land, ⁷He doth laugh at the multitude of a city, The cries of an exactor he heareth not. ⁸The range of mountains is his pasture, And after every green thing he seeketh. ⁹Is a Reem willing to serve thee? Doth he lodge by thy crib? ¹⁰Dost thou bind a Reem in a furrow with his thick band? Doth he harrow valleys after thee? ¹¹Dost thou trust in him because great is his power? And dost thou leave unto him thy labour? ¹²Dost thou trust in him That he doth bring back thy seed? And to thy threshing-floor doth gather it?

¹³The wing of the rattling ones exulteth, Whether the pinion of the ostrich or hawk. ¹⁴For she leaveth on the earth her eggs, And on the dust she doth warm them, ¹⁵And she forgetteth that a foot may press it, And a beast of the field tread it down. ¹⁶Her young ones it hath hardened without her, In vain is her labour without fear. ¹⁷For God hath caused her to forget wisdom, And He hath not given a portion To her in understanding: ¹⁸At the time on high she lifteth herself up, She laugheth at the horse and at his rider.

¹⁹Dost thou give to the horse might? Dost thou clothe his neck with a mane? ²⁰Dost thou cause him to rush as a locust? The majesty of his snorting is terrible. ²¹They dig in a valley, and he rejoiceth in power, He goeth forth to meet the armour. ²²He laugheth at fear, and is not affrighted, And he turneth not back from the face of the sword. ²³Against him rattle doth quiver, The flame of a spear, and a halbert. ²⁴With trembling and rage he swalloweth the ground, And remaineth not stedfast Because of the sound of a trumpet. ²⁵Among the trumpets he saith, Aha, And from afar he doth smell battle, Roaring of princes and shouting.

²⁶By thine understanding flieth a hawk? Spreadeth he his wings to the south? ²⁷At thy command goeth an eagle up high? Or lifteth he up his nest? ²⁸A rock he doth inhabit, Yea, he lodgeth on the tooth of a rock, and fortress. ²⁹From thence he hath sought food, To a far off place his eyes look attentively, ³⁰And his brood gulp up blood, And where the pierced are—there is he!

Chapter 40

¹And Jehovah doth answer Job, and saith:— ²Is the striver with the Mighty instructed? The reprover of God, let him answer it. ³And Job answereth Jehovah, and saith:— ⁴Lo, I have been vile, What do I return to Thee? My hand I have placed on my mouth. ⁵Once I have spoken, and I answer not, And twice, and I add not.

⁶And Jehovah answereth Job out of the whirlwind, and saith:— ⁷Gird, I pray thee, as a man, thy loins, I ask thee, and cause thou Me to know. ⁸Dost thou also make void My judgment? Dost thou condemn Me, That thou mayest be righteous? ⁹And an arm like God hast thou? And with a voice like Him dost thou thunder? ¹⁰Put on, I pray thee, excellency and loftiness, Yea, honour and beauty put on. ¹¹Scatter abroad the wrath of thine anger, And see every proud one, and make him low. ¹²See every proud one—humble him, And tread down the wicked in their place. ¹³Hide them in the dust together, Their faces bind in secret. ¹⁴And even I—I do praise thee, For thy right hand giveth salvation to thee.

¹⁵Lo, I pray thee, Behemoth, that I made with thee: Grass as an ox he eateth. ¹⁶Lo, I pray thee, his power is in his loins, And his strength in the muscles of his belly. ¹⁷He doth bend his tail as a cedar, The sinews of his thighs are wrapped together, ¹⁸His bones are tubes of brass, His bones are as a bar of iron. ¹⁹He is a beginning of the ways of God, His Maker bringeth nigh his sword; ²⁰For food do mountains bear for him, And all the beasts of the field play there. ²¹Under shades he lieth down, In a secret place of reed and mire. ²²Cover him do shades, with their shadow, Cover him do willows of the brook. ²³Lo, a flood oppresseth—he doth not haste, He is confident though Jordan Doth come forth unto his mouth. ²⁴Before his eyes doth one take him, With snares doth one pierce the nose?

Chapter 41