Job 38

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.footnote a

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

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;footnote cfootnote d

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,footnote e

11And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?footnote f

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?footnote g

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?footnote h

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.footnote i

31Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?footnote jfootnote k

32Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?footnote lfootnote m

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?footnote n

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,footnote o

38When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?footnote p

39Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,footnote q

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.

The LORD Challenges Job

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

2“Who is this who obscures My counselby words without knowledge?footnote a 3Now brace yourselffootnote blike a man;I will question you, and you shall inform Me.footnote c 4Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?Tell Me, if you have understanding. 5Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know!Or who stretched a measuring line across it? 6On what were its foundations set,or who laid its cornerstone,footnote d 7while the morning stars sang togetherand all the sons of God shouted for joy?

8Who enclosed the sea behind doorswhen it burst forth from the womb, 9when I made the clouds its garmentand thick darkness its blanket, 10when I fixed its boundariesand set in place its bars and doors, 11and I declared: ‘You may come this far, but no farther;here your proud waves must stop’?

12In your days, have you commanded the morningor assigned the dawn its place, 13that it might spread to the ends of the earthand shake the wicked out of it? 14The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;its hills stand out like the folds of a garment. 15Light is withheld from the wicked,and their upraised arm is broken.

16Have you journeyed to the vents of the seaor walked in the trenches of the deep? 17Have the gates of death been revealed to you?Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? 18Have you surveyed the extent of the earth?Tell Me, if you know all this.

19Where is the way to the home of light?Do you know where darkness resides, 20so you can lead it back to its border?Do you know the paths to its home? 21Surely you know, for you were already born!And the number of your days is great!

22Have you entered the storehouses of snowor observed the storehouses of hail, 23which I hold in reserve for times of trouble,for the day of war and battle? 24In which direction is the lightning dispersed,or the east wind scattered over the earth?

25Who cuts a channel for the floodor clears a path for the thunderbolt, 26to bring rain on a barren land,on a desert where no man lives, 27to satisfy the parched wastelandand make it sprout with tender grass? 28Does the rain have a father?Who has begotten the drops of dew? 29From whose womb does the ice emerge?Who gives birth to the frost from heaven, 30when the waters become hard as stoneand the surface of the deep is frozen?

31Can you bind the chains of the Pleiadesor loosen the belt of Orion? 32Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasonsfootnote eor lead out the Bearfootnote fand her cubs? 33Do you know the laws of the heavens?Can you set their dominion over the earth? 34Can you command the cloudsso that a flood of water covers you? 35Can you send the lightning bolts on their way?Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?

36Who has put wisdom in the heartfootnote gor given understanding to the mind? 37Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?Or who can tilt the water jars of the heavens 38when the dust hardens into a massand the clods of earth stick together?

39Can you hunt the prey for a lionessor satisfy the hunger of young lions 40when they crouch in their densand lie in wait in the thicket? 41Who provides food for the ravenwhen its young cry out to Godas they wander about for lack of food?