God Challenges Job
1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
9When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
10And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
11And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
12Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
13That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.
15And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.
16Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
17Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.
19Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
20That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?
21Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?
22Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
23Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?
25Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
26To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
27To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
28Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
29Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
30The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
31Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
32Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
33Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?
34Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
35Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?
36Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?
37Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
38When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?
39Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,
40When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
41Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
The LORD Challenges Job
1 Then Yahweh answered Job out of the whirlwind,
2 “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Brace 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.
5 Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?
6 Whereupon were its foundations fastened? 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 up the sea with doors, when it broke forth from the womb,
9 when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness,
10 marked out for it my bound, set bars and doors,
11 and said, ‘Here you may come, but no further. Here your proud waves shall be stayed?’
12 “Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place;
13 that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and shake the wicked out of it?
14 It is changed as clay under the seal, and stands forth as a garment.
15 From 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?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?
18 Have you comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if you know it all.
19 “What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is its place,
20 that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house?
21 Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!
22 Have you entered the treasuries of the snow, or have you seen the treasures of the hail,
23 which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24 By what way is the lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth?
25 Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunderstorm;
26 To cause it to rain on a land where no man is; on the wilderness, in which there is no man;
27 to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, to cause the tender grass to spring forth?
28 Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew?
29 Out of whose womb came the ice? The gray frost of the sky, who has given birth to it?
30 The 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?
32 Can you lead forth the constellations in their season? Or can you guide the Bear with her cubs?
33 Do 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?
35 Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are?’
36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of the sky,
38 when 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,
40 when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket?
41 Who provides for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food?
The LORD Challenges Job
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
2 “Who is this who obscures My counsel
by words without knowledge? a
3 Now brace yourself b like a man;
I will question you, and you shall inform Me. c
4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know!
Or who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 On what were its foundations set,
or who laid its cornerstone, d
7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 Who enclosed the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,
9 when I made the clouds its garment
and thick darkness its blanket,
10 when I fixed its boundaries
and set in place its bars and doors,
11 and I declared: ‘You may come this far, but no farther;
here your proud waves must stop’?
12 In your days, have you commanded the morning
or assigned the dawn its place,
13 that it might spread to the ends of the earth
and shake the wicked out of it?
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
its hills stand out like the folds of a garment.
15 Light is withheld from the wicked,
and their upraised arm is broken.
16 Have you journeyed to the vents of the sea
or walked in the trenches of the deep?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you?
Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?
18 Have you surveyed the extent of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.
19 Where is the way to the home of light?
Do you know where darkness resides,
20 so you can lead it back to its border?
Do you know the paths to its home?
21 Surely you know, for you were already born!
And the number of your days is great!
22 Have you entered the storehouses of snow
or observed the storehouses of hail,
23 which I hold in reserve for times of trouble,
for the day of war and battle?
24 In which direction is the lightning dispersed,
or the east wind scattered over the earth?
25 Who cuts a channel for the flood
or clears a path for the thunderbolt,
26 to bring rain on a barren land,
on a desert where no man lives,
27 to satisfy the parched wasteland
and make it sprout with tender grass?
28 Does the rain have a father?
Who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb does the ice emerge?
Who gives birth to the frost from heaven,
30 when the waters become hard as stone
and the surface of the deep is frozen?
31 Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades
or loosen the belt of Orion?
32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons e
or lead out the Bear f and her cubs?
33 Do you know the laws of the heavens?
Can you set their dominion over the earth?
34 Can you command the clouds
so that a flood of water covers you?
35 Can you send the lightning bolts on their way?
Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who has put wisdom in the heart g
or given understanding to the mind?
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Or who can tilt the water jars of the heavens
38 when the dust hardens into a mass
and the clods of earth stick together?
39 Can you hunt the prey for a lioness
or satisfy the hunger of young lions
40 when they crouch in their dens
and lie in wait in the thicket?
41 Who provides food for the raven
when its young cry out to God
as they wander about for lack of food?
Footnotes:
2 a Cited in Job 42:3
3 b Hebrew gird up your loins
3 c Cited in Job 42:4
6 d Or who set its core in place
32 e Or bring forth Mazzaroth in its season
32 f Or Leo or Arcturus
36 g Or Who has given the ibis wisdom , that is, wisdom about the flooding of the Nile
God Challenges Job
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.
