Job 37–40

Job 37–40 WEB

^37:1“Yes, at this my heart trembles, and is moved out of its place. ²Hear, oh, hear the noise of his voice, the sound that goes out of his mouth. ³He sends it out under the whole sky, and his lightning to the ends of the earth. ⁴After it a voice roars. He thunders with the voice of his majesty. He doesn’t hold back anything when his voice is heard. ⁵God thunders marvelously with his voice. He does great things, which we can’t comprehend. ⁶For he says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ likewise to the shower of rain, and to the showers of his mighty rain. ⁷He seals up the hand of every man, that all men whom he has made may know it. ⁸Then the animals take cover, and remain in their dens. ⁹Out of its room comes the storm, and cold out of the north. ¹⁰By the breath of God, ice is given, and the width of the waters is frozen. ¹¹Yes, he loads the thick cloud with moisture. He spreads abroad the cloud of his lightning. ¹²It is turned around by his guidance, that they may do whatever he commands them on the surface of the habitable world, ¹³whether it is for correction, or for his land, or for loving kindness, that he causes it to come. ¹⁴“Listen to this, Job. Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. ¹⁵Do you know how God controls them, and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine? ¹⁶Do you know the workings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge? ¹⁷You whose clothing is warm when the earth is still by reason of the south wind? ¹⁸Can you, with him, spread out the sky, which is strong as a cast metal mirror? ¹⁹Teach us what we will tell him, for we can’t make our case by reason of darkness. ²⁰Will it be told him that I would speak? Or should a man wish that he were swallowed up? ²¹Now men don’t see the light which is bright in the skies, but the wind passes, and clears them. ²²Out of the north comes golden splendor. With God is awesome majesty. ²³We can’t reach the Almighty. He is exalted in power. In justice and great righteousness, he will not oppress. ²⁴Therefore men revere him. He doesn’t regard any who are wise of heart.”

^38:1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, ²“Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? ³Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you answer me! ⁴“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding. ⁵Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it? ⁶What were its foundations fastened on? Or who laid its cornerstone, ⁷when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? ⁸“Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke out of the womb, ⁹when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness, ¹⁰marked out for it my bound, set bars and doors, ¹¹and said, ‘You may come here, but no further. Your proud waves shall be stopped here’? ¹²“Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place, ¹³that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and shake the wicked out of it? ¹⁴It is changed as clay under the seal, and presented as a garment. ¹⁵From the wicked, their light is withheld. The high arm is broken. ¹⁶“Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep? ¹⁷Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? ¹⁸Have you comprehended the earth in its width? Declare, if you know it all. ¹⁹“What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is its place, ²⁰that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house? ²¹Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! ²²Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, ²³which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? ²⁴By what way is the lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth? ²⁵Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunderstorm, ²⁶to cause it to rain on a land where there is no man, on the wilderness, in which there is no man, ²⁷to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, to cause the tender grass to grow? ²⁸Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew? ²⁹Whose womb did the ice come out of? Who has given birth to the gray frost of the sky? ³⁰The waters become hard like stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen. ³¹“Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion? ³²Can you lead the constellations out in their season? Or can you guide the Bear with her cubs? ³³Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth? ³⁴“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover you? ³⁵Can you send out lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’? ³⁶Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind? ³⁷Who can count the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the containers of the sky, ³⁸when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods of earth stick together? ³⁹“Can you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, ⁴⁰when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket? ⁴¹Who provides for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food?

^39:1“Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns? ²Can you count the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they give birth? ³They bow themselves. They bear their young. They end their labor pains. ⁴Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go out, and don’t return again. ⁵“Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey, ⁶whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place? ⁷He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shouting of the driver. ⁸The range of the mountains is his pasture. He searches after every green thing. ⁹“Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough? ¹⁰Can you hold the wild ox in the furrow with his harness? Or will he till the valleys after you? ¹¹Will you trust him, because his strength is great? Or will you leave to him your labor? ¹²Will you confide in him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather the grain of your threshing floor? ¹³“The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the feathers and plumage of love? ¹⁴For she leaves her eggs on the earth, warms them in the dust, ¹⁵and forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild animal may trample them. ¹⁶She deals harshly with her young ones, as if they were not hers. Though her labor is in vain, she is without fear, ¹⁷because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has he imparted to her understanding. ¹⁸When she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider. ¹⁹“Have you given the horse might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane? ²⁰Have you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome. ²¹He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men. ²²He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed, neither does he turn back from the sword. ²³The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin. ²⁴He eats up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither does he stand still at the sound of the trumpet. ²⁵As often as the trumpet sounds he snorts, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting. ²⁶“Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings toward the south? ²⁷Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high? ²⁸On the cliff he dwells and makes his home, on the point of the cliff and the stronghold. ²⁹From there he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off. ³⁰His young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is.”

^40:1Moreover the LORD answered Job, ²“Shall he who argues contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” ³Then Job answered the LORD, ⁴“Behold, I am of small account. What will I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. ⁵I have spoken once, and I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.” ⁶Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind: ⁷“Now brace yourself like a man. I will question you, and you will answer me. ⁸Will you even annul my judgment? Will you condemn me, that you may be justified? ⁹Or do you have an arm like God? Can you thunder with a voice like him? ¹⁰“Now deck yourself with excellency and dignity. Array yourself with honor and majesty. ¹¹Pour out the fury of your anger. Look at everyone who is proud, and bring him low. ¹²Look at everyone who is proud, and humble him. Crush the wicked in their place. ¹³Hide them in the dust together. Bind their faces in the hidden place. ¹⁴Then I will also admit to you that your own right hand can save you. ¹⁵“See now behemoth, which I made as well as you. He eats grass as an ox. ¹⁶Look now, his strength is in his thighs. His force is in the muscles of his belly. ¹⁷He moves his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his thighs are knit together. ¹⁸His bones are like tubes of bronze. His limbs are like bars of iron. ¹⁹He is the chief of the ways of God. He who made him gives him his sword. ²⁰Surely the mountains produce food for him, where all the animals of the field play. ²¹He lies under the lotus trees, in the covert of the reed, and the marsh. ²²The lotuses cover him with their shade. The willows of the brook surround him. ²³Behold, if a river overflows, he doesn’t tremble. He is confident, though the Jordan swells even to his mouth. ²⁴Shall any take him when he is on the watch, or pierce through his nose with a snare?