Job 38

The Lord Answers Job

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

2  "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3  Dress for actiont like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.

4  "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5  Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6  On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7  when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

8  "Or who shut in the sea with doors
when it burst out from the womb,
9  when I made clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
10  and prescribed limits for it
and set bars and doors,
11  and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stayed'?

12  "Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
and caused the dawn to know its place,
13  that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth,
and the wicked be shaken out of it?
14  It is changed like clay under the seal,
and its features stand out like a garment.
15  From the wicked their light is withheld,
and their uplifted arm is broken.

16  "Have you entered into the springs of the sea,
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
17  Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
18  Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
Declare, if you know all this.

19  "Where is the way to the dwelling of light,
and where is the place of darkness,
20  that you may take it to its territory
and that you may discern the paths to its home?
21  You know, for you were born then,
and the number of your days is great!

22  "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
23  which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
for the day of battle and war?
24  What is the way to the place where the light is distributed,
or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?

25  "Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain
and a way for the thunderbolt,
26  to bring rain on a land where no man is,
on the desert in which there is no man,
27  to satisfy the waste and desolate land,
and to make the ground sprout with grass?

28  "Has the rain a father,
or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29  From whose womb did the ice come forth,
and who has given birth to the frost of heaven?
30  The waters become hard like stone,
and the face of the deep is frozen.

31  "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades
or loose the cords of Orion?
32  Can you lead forth the Mazzarotht in their season,
or can you guide the Bear with its children?
33  Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you establish their rule on the earth?

34  "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
that a flood of waters may cover you?
35  Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go
and say to you, 'Here we are'?
36  Who has put wisdom in the inward partst
or given understanding to the mind?t
37  Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,
38  when the dust runs into a mass
and the clods stick fast together?

39  "Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40  when they crouch in their dens
or lie in wait in their thicket?
41  Who provides for the raven its prey,
when its young ones cry to God for help,
and wander about for lack of food?

Job 38

VI. The Divine Speeches (38:1-42:6)

The Lord’s First Speech

1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:s

2 “Who is thist who darkens counsels
with words without knowledge?

3 Get ready for a difficult taskt like a man;
I will question you
and you will inform me!

God’s questions to Job

4 “Where were you
when I laid the foundationt of the earth?
Tell me,t if you possess understanding!

5 Who set its measurements – ift you know –
or who stretched a measuring line across it?

6 On whatt were its basess set,
or who laid its cornerstone –

7 when the morning starss sangt in chorus,t
and all the sons of Godt shouted for joy?

8 “Who shut upt the sea with doors
when it burst forth,t coming out of the womb,

9 when I madet the storm clouds its garment,
and thick darkness its swaddling band,t

10 when I prescribeds its limits,
and sett in place its bolts and doors,

11 when I said, ‘To here you may comet
and no farther,t
here your proud waves will be confined’?t

12 Have you ever in your lifet commanded the morning,
or made the dawn knowt its place,

13 that it might seize the corners of the earth,s
and shake the wicked out of it?

14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;s
its featurest are dyeds like a garment.

15 Then from the wicked the light is withheld,
and the arm raised in violencet is broken.s

16 Have you gone to the springs that fill the sea,t
or walked about in the recesses of the deep?

17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you?t
Have you seen the gates of deepest darkness?t

18 Have you considered the vast expanses of the earth?
Tell me, if you know it all!

19 “In what directiont does light reside,
and darkness, where is its place,

20 that you may take them to their borders
and perceive the pathways to their homes?t

21 You know, for you were born before them;t
and the number of your days is great!

22 Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
or seen the armoryt of the hail,

23 which I reserve for the time of trouble,
for the day of war and battle?s

24 In what direction is lightningt dispersed,
or the east winds scattered over the earth?

25 Who carves out a channel for the heavy rains,
and a path for the rumble of thunder,

26 to cause it to rain on an uninhabited land,t
a desert where there are no human beings,t

27 to satisfy a devastated and desolate land,
and to cause it to sprout with vegetation?t

28 Does the rain have a father,
or who has fathered the drops of the dew?

29 From whose womb does the ice emerge,
and the frost from the sky,t who gives birth to it,

30 when the waters become hardt like stone,
when the surface of the deep is frozen solid?

31 Can you tie the bandst of the Pleiades,
or release the cords of Orion?

32 Can you lead out
the constellationst in their seasons,
or guide the Bear with its cubs?s

33 Do you know the laws of the heavens,
or can you set up their rule over the earth?

34 Can you raise your voice to the clouds
so that a flood of water covers you?s

35 Can you send out lightning bolts, and they go?
Will they say to you, ‘Here we are’?

36 Who has put wisdom in the heart,t
or has imparted understanding to the mind?

37 Who by wisdom can count the clouds,
and who can tip overt the water jars of heaven,

38 when the dust hardenst into a mass,
and the clumps of earth stick together?

39 “Do you hunt prey for the lioness,
and satisfy the appetitet of the lions,

40 when they crouch in their dens,
when they wait in ambush in the thicket?

41 Who prepares prey for the raven,
when its young cry out to God
and wander aboutt for lack of food?