Job 38

1And the Lord made answer to Job out of the storm-wind, and said,

1Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

1Then the Lord answered Job out of a whirlwind, and said:

2Who is this who makes the purpose of God dark by words without knowledge?

2Who is this that darkeneth counsel By words without knowledge?

2Who is this that wrappeth up sentences in unskilful words?

3Get your strength together like a man of war; I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.

3Gird up now thy loins like a man; For I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

3Gird up thy loins like a man: I will ask thee, and answer thou me.

4Where were you when I put the earth on its base? Say, if you have knowledge.

4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.

4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? tell me if thou hast understanding.

5By whom were its measures fixed? Say, if you have wisdom; or by whom was the line stretched out over it?

5Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched the line upon it?

5Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line upon it?

6On what were its pillars based, or who put down its angle-stone,

6Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner-stone thereof,

6Upon what are its bases grounded? or who laid the corner stone thereof,

7When the morning stars made songs together, and all the sons of the gods gave cries of joy?

7When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

7When the morning stars praised me together, and all the sons of God made a joyful melody?

8Or where were you when the sea came to birth, pushing out from its secret place;

8Orwho shut up the sea with doors, When it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb;

8Who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth as issuing out of the womb:

9When I made the cloud its robe, and put thick clouds as bands round it,

9When I made clouds the garment thereof, And thick darkness a swaddling-band for it,

9When I made a cloud the garment thereof, and wrapped it in a mist as in swaddling bands?

10Ordering a fixed limit for it, with locks and doors;

10And marked out for it my bound, And set bars and doors,

10I set my bounds around it, and made it bars and doors:

11And said, So far you may come, and no farther; and here the pride of your waves will be stopped?

11And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; And here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

11And I said: Hitherto thou shalt come, and shalt go no further, and here thou shalt break thy swelling waves.

12Have you, from your earliest days, given orders to the morning, or made the dawn conscious of its place;

12Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began, And caused the dayspring to know its place;

12Didst thou since thy birth command the morning, and shew the dawning of the day its place?

13So that it might take a grip of the skirts of the earth, shaking all the evil-doers out of it?

13That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it?

13And didst thou hold the extremities of the earth shaking them, and hast thou shaken the ungodly out of it?

14It is changed like wet earth under a stamp, and is coloured like a robe;

14It is changed as clay under the seal; Andall thingsstand forth as a garment:

14The seal shall be restored as clay, and shall stand as a garment.

15And from the evil-doers their light is kept back, and the arm of pride is broken.

15And from the wicked their light is withholden, And the high arm is broken.

15From the wicked their light shall be taken away, and the high arm shall be broken.

16Have you come into the springs of the sea, walking in the secret places of the deep?

16Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?

16Hast thou entered into the depths of the sea, and walked in the lowest parts of the deep?

17Have the doors of death been open to you, or have the door-keepers of the dark ever seen you?

17Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee? Or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?

17Have the gates of death been opened to thee, and hast thou seen the darksome doors?

18Have you taken note of the wide limits of the earth? Say, if you have knowledge of it all.

18Hast thou comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if thou knowest it all.

18Hast thou considered the breadth of the earth? tell me, if thou knowest all things.

19Which is the way to the resting-place of the light, and where is the store-house of the dark;

19Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And as for darkness, where is the place thereof,

19Where is the way where light dwelleth, and where is the place of darkness?

20So that you might take it to its limit, guiding it to its house?

20That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, And that thou shouldest discern the paths to the house thereof?

20That thou mayst bring every thing to its own bounds, and understand the paths of the house thereof.

21No doubt you have knowledge of it, for then you had come to birth, and the number of your days is great.

21Doubtless, thou knowest, for thou wast then born, And the number of thy days is great!

21Didst thou know then that thou shouldst be born? and didst thou know the number of thy days?

22Have you come into the secret place of snow, or have you seen the store-houses of the ice-drops,

22Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow, Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

22Hast thou entered into the storehouses of the snow, or hast thou beheld the treasures of the hail:

23Which I have kept for the time of trouble, for the day of war and fighting?

23Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, Against the day of battle and war?

23Which I have prepared for the time of the enemy, against the day of battle and war?

24Which is the way to the place where the wind is measured out, and the east wind sent out over the earth?

24By what way is the light parted, Or the east wind scattered upon the earth?

24By what way is the light spread, and heat divided upon the earth?

25By whom has the way been cut for the flowing of the rain, and the flaming of the thunder;

25Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood, Or the way for the lightning of the thunder;

25Who gave a course to violent showers, or a way for noisy thunder:

26Causing rain to come on a land where no man is living, on the waste land which has no people;

26To cause it to rain on a land where no man is; On the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

26That it should rain on the earth without man in the wilderness, where no mortal dwelleth:

27To give water to the land where there is waste and destruction, and to make the dry land green with young grass?

27To satisfy the waste and desolate ground, And to cause the tender grass to spring forth?

27That it should fill the desert and desolate land, and should bring forth green grass?

28Has the rain a father? or who gave birth to the drops of night mist?

28Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

28Who is the father of rain? or who begot the drops of dew?

29Out of whose body came the ice? and who gave birth to the cold mist of heaven?

29Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

29Out of whose womb came the ice? and the frost from heaven who hath gendered it?

30The waters are joined together, hard as a stone, and the face of the deep is covered.

30The waters hide themselvesand becomelike stone, And the face of the deep is frozen.

30The waters are hardened like a stone, and the surface of the deep is congealed.

31Are the bands of the Pleiades fixed by you, or are the cords of Orion made loose?

31Canst thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the bands of Orion?

31Shalt thou be able to join together the shining stars the Pleiades, or canst thou stop the turning about of Arcturus?

32Do you make Mazzaroth come out in its right time, or are the Bear and its children guided by you?

32Canst thou lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? Or canst thou guide the Bear with her train?

32Canst thou bring forth the day star in its time, and make the evening star to rise upon the children of the earth?

33Have you knowledge of the laws of the heavens? did you give them rule over the earth?

33Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth?

33Dost thou know the order of heaven, and canst thou set down the reason thereof on the earth?

34Is your voice sent up to the cloud, so that you may be covered by the weight of waters?

34Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover thee?

34Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that an abundance of waters may cover thee?

35Do you send out the thunder-flames, so that they may go, and say to you, Here we are?

35Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go, And say unto thee, Here we are?

35Canst thou send lightnings, and will they go, and will they return and say to thee: Here we are?

36Who has put wisdom in the high clouds, or given knowledge to the lights of the north?

36Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who hath given understanding to the mind?

36Who hath put wisdom in the heart of man? or who gave the cock understanding?

37By whose wisdom are the clouds numbered, or the water-skins of the heavens turned to the earth,

37Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,

37Who can declare the order of the heavens, or who can make the harmony of heaven to sleep?

38When the earth becomes hard as metal, and is joined together in masses?

38When the dust runneth into a mass, And the clods cleave fast together?

38When was the dust poured on the earth, and the clods fastened together?

39Do you go after food for the she-lion, or get meat so that the young lions may have enough,

39Canst thou hunt the prey for the lioness, Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

39Wilt thou take the prey for the lioness, and satisfy the appetite of her whelps,

40When they are stretched out in their holes, and are waiting in the brushwood?

40When they couch in their dens, Andabide in the covert to lie in wait?

40When they couch in the dens and lie in wait in holes?

41Who gives in the evening the meat he is searching for, when his young ones are crying to God; when the young lions with loud noise go wandering after their food?

41Who provideth for the raven his prey, When his young ones cry unto God, Andwander for lack of food?

41Who provideth food for the raven, when her young ones cry to God, wandering about, because they have no meat?