38:1 And after Elius had ceased from
speaking, the Lord spoke to Job through the whirlwind and clouds, [saying],
38:2 Who is this that hides counsel from me, and confines words in [his]
heart, and thinks to conceal [them] from me?
38:3 Gird thy loins like a man; and I will ask thee, and do thou answer me.
38:4 Where wast thou when I founded the earth? tell me now, if thou hast
knowledge,
38:5 who set the measures of it, if thou knowest? or who stretched a line
upon it?
38:6 On what are its rings fastened? and who is he that laid the
corner-stone upon it?
38:7 When the stars were made, all my angels praised me with a loud voice.
38:8 And I shut up the sea with gates, when it rushed out, coming forth out
its mother's womb.
38:9 And I made a cloud its clothing, and swathed it in mist.
38:10 And I set bounds to it, surrounding it with bars and gates.
38:11 And I said to it, Hitherto shalt thou come, but thou shalt not go
beyond, but thy waves shall be confined within thee.
38:12 Or did I order the morning light in thy time; and [did] the morning
star [then first] see his appointed place;
38:13 to lay hold of the extremities of the earth, to cast out the ungodly
out of it?
38:14 Or didst thou take clay of the ground, and form a living creature, and
set it with the power of speech upon the earth?
38:15 And hast thou removed light from the ungodly, and crushed the arm of
the proud?
38:16 Or hast thou gone to the source of the sea, and walked in the tracks
of the deep?
38:17 And do the gates of death open to thee for fear; and did the porters
of hell quake when they saw thee?
38:18 And hast thou been instructed in the breadth of the [whole earth]
under heaven? tell me now, what is the extent of it?
38:19 And in what kind of a land does the light dwell? and of what kind is
the place of darkness?
38:20 If thou couldest bring me to their [utmost] boundaries, and if also
thou knowest their paths;
38:21 I know then that thou wert born at that time, and the number of thy
years is great.
38:22 But hast thou gone to the treasures of snow? and hast thou seen the
treasures of hail?
38:23 And is there a store [of them], for thee against the time of [thine]
enemies, for the day of wars and battle?
38:24 And whence proceeds the frost? or [whence] is the south wind dispersed
over the [whole world] under heaven?
38:25 And who prepared a course for the violent rain, and a way for the
thunders;
38:26 to rain upon the land where [there is] no man, the wilderness, where
there is not a man in it; so as to feed the untrodden and uninhabited
[land],
38:27 and cause it to send forth a crop of green herbs?
38:28 Who is the rain's father? and who has generated the drops of dew?
38:29 And out of whose womb comes the ice? and who has produced the frost in
the sky,
38:30 which descends like flowing water? who has terrified the face of the
ungodly?
38:31 And dost thou understand the band of Pleias, and hast thou opened the
barrier of Orion?
38:32 Or wilt thou reveal Mazuroth in his season, and the evening star with
his rays? Wilt tho guide them?
38:33 And knowest thou the changes of heaven, or the events which take place
together under heaven?
38:34 And wilt thou call a cloud with thy voice, and will it obey thee with
a violent shower of much rain?
38:35 And wilt thou send lightnings, and they shall go? and shall they say
to thee, What is [thy pleasure]?
38:36 And who has given to women skill in weaving, or knowledge of
embroidery?
38:37 And who is he that numbers the clouds in wisdom, and has bowed the
heaven [down] to the earth?
38:38 For it is spread out as dusty earth, and I have cemented it as one
hewn stone to another.
38:39 And wilt thou hunt a prey for the lions? and satisfy the desires of
the serpents?
38:40 For they fear in their lairs, and lying in wait couch in the woods.
38:41 And who has prepared food for the raven? for its young ones wander and
cry to the Lord, in search of food. |
38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the
whirlwind, and said,
38:2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
38:3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer
thou me.
38:4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if
thou hast understanding.
38:5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath
stretched the line upon it?
38:6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner
stone thereof;
38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted
for joy?
38:8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had
issued out of the womb?
38:9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a
swaddlingband for it,
38:10 And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
38:11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy
proud waves be stayed?
38:12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the
dayspring to know his place;
38:13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked
might be shaken out of it?
38:14 It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.
38:15 And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall
be broken.
38:16 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in
the search of the depth?
38:17 Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the
doors of the shadow of death?
38:18 Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest
it all.
38:19 Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is
the place thereof,
38:20 That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou
shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?
38:21 Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of
thy days is great?
38:22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen
the treasures of the hail,
38:23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of
battle and war?
38:24 By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon
the earth?
38:25 Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way
for the lightning of thunder;
38:26 To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness,
wherein there is no man;
38:27 To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the
tender herb to spring forth?
38:28 Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
38:29 Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who
hath gendered it?
38:30 The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is
frozen.
38:31 Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands
of Orion?
38:32 Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide
Arcturus with his sons?
38:33 Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion
thereof in the earth?
38:34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters
may cover thee?
38:35 Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, Here
we are?
38:36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given
understanding to the heart?
38:37 Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of
heaven,
38:38 When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast
together?
38:39 Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the
young lions,
38:40 When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
38:41 Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto
God, they wander for lack of meat. |