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Job 37-39
New International Version
Job 37-39
New International Version
37 “At this my heart pounds(A)
and leaps from its place.
2 Listen!(B) Listen to the roar of his voice,(C)
to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.(D)
3 He unleashes his lightning(E) beneath the whole heaven
and sends it to the ends of the earth.(F)
4 After that comes the sound of his roar;
he thunders(G) with his majestic voice.(H)
When his voice resounds,
he holds nothing back.
5 God’s voice thunders(I) in marvelous ways;(J)
he does great things beyond our understanding.(K)
6 He says to the snow,(L) ‘Fall on the earth,’
and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’(M)
7 So that everyone he has made may know his work,(N)
he stops all people from their labor.[a](O)
8 The animals take cover;(P)
they remain in their dens.(Q)
9 The tempest comes out from its chamber,(R)
the cold from the driving winds.(S)
10 The breath of God produces ice,
and the broad waters become frozen.(T)
11 He loads the clouds with moisture;(U)
he scatters his lightning(V) through them.(W)
12 At his direction they swirl around
over the face of the whole earth
to do whatever he commands them.(X)
13 He brings the clouds to punish people,(Y)
or to water his earth and show his love.(Z)
14 “Listen(AA) to this, Job;
stop and consider God’s wonders.(AB)
15 Do you know how God controls the clouds
and makes his lightning(AC) flash?(AD)
16 Do you know how the clouds hang poised,(AE)
those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?(AF)
17 You who swelter in your clothes
when the land lies hushed under the south wind,(AG)
18 can you join him in spreading out the skies,(AH)
hard as a mirror of cast bronze?(AI)
19 “Tell us what we should say to him;(AJ)
we cannot draw up our case(AK) because of our darkness.(AL)
20 Should he be told that I want to speak?
Would anyone ask to be swallowed up?
21 Now no one can look at the sun,(AM)
bright as it is in the skies
after the wind has swept them clean.
22 Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;(AN)
God comes in awesome majesty.(AO)
23 The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;(AP)
in his justice(AQ) and great righteousness, he does not oppress.(AR)
24 Therefore, people revere him,(AS)
for does he not have regard for all the wise(AT) in heart?[b]”
The Lord Speaks
38 Then the Lord spoke to Job(AU) out of the storm.(AV) He said:
2 “Who is this that obscures my plans(AW)
with words without knowledge?(AX)
3 Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.(AY)
4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?(AZ)
Tell me, if you understand.(BA)
5 Who marked off its dimensions?(BB) Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line(BC) across it?
6 On what were its footings set,(BD)
or who laid its cornerstone(BE)—
7 while the morning stars(BF) sang together(BG)
and all the angels[c](BH) shouted for joy?(BI)
8 “Who shut up the sea behind doors(BJ)
when it burst forth from the womb,(BK)
9 when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,(BL)
10 when I fixed limits for it(BM)
and set its doors and bars in place,(BN)
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;(BO)
here is where your proud waves halt’?(BP)
12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning,(BQ)
or shown the dawn its place,(BR)
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked(BS) out of it?(BT)
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;(BU)
its features stand out like those of a garment.
15 The wicked are denied their light,(BV)
and their upraised arm is broken.(BW)
16 “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?(BX)
17 Have the gates of death(BY) been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?(BZ)
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?(CA)
Tell me, if you know all this.(CB)
19 “What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?(CC)
20 Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths(CD) to their dwellings?
21 Surely you know, for you were already born!(CE)
You have lived so many years!
22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow(CF)
or seen the storehouses(CG) of the hail,(CH)
23 which I reserve for times of trouble,(CI)
for days of war and battle?(CJ)
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,(CK)
or the place where the east winds(CL) are scattered over the earth?(CM)
25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
and a path for the thunderstorm,(CN)
26 to water(CO) a land where no one lives,
an uninhabited desert,(CP)
27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
and make it sprout with grass?(CQ)
28 Does the rain have a father?(CR)
Who fathers the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens(CS)
30 when the waters become hard as stone,
when the surface of the deep is frozen?(CT)
31 “Can you bind the chains[d] of the Pleiades?
Can you loosen Orion’s belt?(CU)
32 Can you bring forth the constellations(CV) in their seasons[e]
or lead out the Bear[f] with its cubs?(CW)
33 Do you know the laws(CX) of the heavens?(CY)
Can you set up God’s[g] dominion over the earth?
34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water?(CZ)
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?(DA)
Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who gives the ibis wisdom[h](DB)
or gives the rooster understanding?[i](DC)
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Who can tip over the water jars(DD) of the heavens(DE)
38 when the dust becomes hard(DF)
and the clods of earth stick together?(DG)
39 “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
and satisfy the hunger of the lions(DH)
40 when they crouch in their dens(DI)
or lie in wait in a thicket?(DJ)
41 Who provides food(DK) for the raven(DL)
when its young cry out to God
and wander about for lack of food?(DM)
39 “Do you know when the mountain goats(DN) give birth?
Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?(DO)
2 Do you count the months till they bear?
Do you know the time they give birth?(DP)
3 They crouch down and bring forth their young;
their labor pains are ended.
4 Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
they leave and do not return.
5 “Who let the wild donkey(DQ) go free?
Who untied its ropes?
6 I gave it the wasteland(DR) as its home,
the salt flats(DS) as its habitat.(DT)
7 It laughs(DU) at the commotion in the town;
it does not hear a driver’s shout.(DV)
8 It ranges the hills(DW) for its pasture
and searches for any green thing.
9 “Will the wild ox(DX) consent to serve you?(DY)
Will it stay by your manger(DZ) at night?
10 Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness?(EA)
Will it till the valleys behind you?
11 Will you rely on it for its great strength?(EB)
Will you leave your heavy work to it?
12 Can you trust it to haul in your grain
and bring it to your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
though they cannot compare
with the wings and feathers of the stork.(EC)
14 She lays her eggs on the ground
and lets them warm in the sand,
15 unmindful that a foot may crush them,
that some wild animal may trample them.(ED)
16 She treats her young harshly,(EE) as if they were not hers;
she cares not that her labor was in vain,
17 for God did not endow her with wisdom
or give her a share of good sense.(EF)
18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
she laughs(EG) at horse and rider.
19 “Do you give the horse its strength(EH)
or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
20 Do you make it leap like a locust,(EI)
striking terror(EJ) with its proud snorting?(EK)
21 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,(EL)
and charges into the fray.(EM)
22 It laughs(EN) at fear, afraid of nothing;
it does not shy away from the sword.
23 The quiver(EO) rattles against its side,
along with the flashing spear(EP) and lance.
24 In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground;
it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.(EQ)
25 At the blast of the trumpet(ER) it snorts, ‘Aha!’
It catches the scent of battle from afar,
the shout of commanders and the battle cry.(ES)
26 “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
and spread its wings toward the south?(ET)
27 Does the eagle soar at your command
and build its nest on high?(EU)
28 It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;
a rocky crag(EV) is its stronghold.
29 From there it looks for food;(EW)
its eyes detect it from afar.
30 Its young ones feast on blood,
and where the slain are, there it is.”(EX)
Footnotes
- Job 37:7 Or work, / he fills all people with fear by his power
- Job 37:24 Or for he does not have regard for any who think they are wise.
- Job 38:7 Hebrew the sons of God
- Job 38:31 Septuagint; Hebrew beauty
- Job 38:32 Or the morning star in its season
- Job 38:32 Or out Leo
- Job 38:33 Or their
- Job 38:36 That is, wisdom about the flooding of the Nile
- Job 38:36 That is, understanding of when to crow; the meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
Job 37-39
New King James Version
Job 37-39
New King James Version
God’s Works and Wisdom
37 “At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
2 Hear attentively the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that comes from His mouth.
3 He sends it forth under the whole heaven,
His [a]lightning to the ends of the earth.
4 After it (A)a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard.
5 God thunders marvelously with His voice;
(B)He does great things which we cannot comprehend.
6 For (C)He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;
Likewise to the [b]gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.
7 He seals the hand of every man,
(D)That (E)all men may know His work.
8 The beasts (F)go into dens,
And remain in their lairs.
9 From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind,
And cold from the scattering winds of the north.
10 (G)By the breath of God ice is given,
And the broad waters are frozen.
11 Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds;
He scatters His [c]bright clouds.
12 And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance,
That they may (H)do whatever He commands them
On the face of [d]the whole earth.
13 (I)He causes it to come,
Whether for [e]correction,
Or (J)for His land,
Or (K)for mercy.
14 “Listen to this, O Job;
Stand still and (L)consider the wondrous works of God.
15 Do you know when God [f]dispatches them,
And causes the light of His cloud to shine?
16 (M)Do you know how the clouds are balanced,
Those wondrous works of (N)Him who is perfect in knowledge?
17 Why are your garments hot,
When He quiets the earth by the south wind?
18 With Him, have you (O)spread out the (P)skies,
Strong as a cast metal mirror?
19 “Teach us what we should say to Him,
For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness.
20 Should He be told that I wish to speak?
If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.
21 Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies,
When the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 He comes from the north as golden splendor;
With God is awesome majesty.
23 As for the Almighty, (Q)we cannot find Him;
(R)He is excellent in power,
In judgment and abundant justice;
He does not oppress.
24 Therefore men (S)fear Him;
He shows no partiality to any who are (T)wise of heart.”
The Lord Reveals His Omnipotence to Job(U)
38 Then the Lord answered Job (V)out of the whirlwind, and said:
2 “Who(W) is this who darkens counsel
By (X)words without knowledge?
3 (Y)Now [g]prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
4 “Where(Z) were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the [h]line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all (AA)the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 “Or(AB) who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
9 When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
10 When (AC)I fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
11 When I said,
‘This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves (AD)must stop!’
12 “Have you (AE)commanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And (AF)the wicked be shaken out of it?
14 It takes on form like clay under a seal,
And stands out like a garment.
15 From the wicked their (AG)light is withheld,
And (AH)the [i]upraised arm is broken.
16 “Have you (AI)entered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?
17 Have (AJ)the gates of death been [j]revealed to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.
19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
20 That you may take it to its territory,
That you may know the paths to its home?
21 Do you know it, because you were born then,
Or because the number of your days is great?
22 “Have you entered (AK)the treasury of snow,
Or have you seen the treasury of hail,
23 (AL)Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?
24 By what way is light [k]diffused,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?
25 “Who (AM)has divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
26 To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in which there is no man;
27 (AN)To satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
28 (AO)Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
And the (AP)frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
30 The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of the deep is (AQ)frozen.[l]
31 “Can you bind the cluster of the (AR)Pleiades,[m]
Or loose the belt of Orion?
32 Can you bring out [n]Mazzaroth in its season?
Or can you guide [o]the Great Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know (AS)the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you set their dominion over the earth?
34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
That an abundance of water may cover you?
35 Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?
36 (AT)Who has put wisdom in [p]the mind?
Or who has given understanding to the heart?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
38 When the dust hardens in clumps,
And the clods cling together?
39 “Can(AU) you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they crouch in their dens,
Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?
41 (AV)Who provides food for the raven,
When its young ones cry to God,
And wander about for lack of food?
God Continues to Challenge Job
39 “Do you know the time when the wild (AW)mountain goats bear young?
Or can you mark when (AX)the deer gives birth?
2 Can you number the months that they fulfill?
Or do you know the time when they bear young?
3 They bow down,
They bring forth their young,
They deliver their [q]offspring.
4 Their young ones are healthy,
They grow strong with grain;
They depart and do not return to them.
5 “Who set the wild donkey free?
Who loosed the bonds of the [r]onager,
6 (AY)Whose home I have made the wilderness,
And the [s]barren land his dwelling?
7 He scorns the tumult of the city;
He does not heed the shouts of the driver.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searches after (AZ)every green thing.
9 “Will the (BA)wild ox be willing to serve you?
Will he bed by your manger?
10 Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes?
Or will he plow the valleys behind you?
11 Will you trust him because his strength is great?
Or will you leave your labor to him?
12 Will you trust him to bring home your [t]grain,
And gather it to your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s?
14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground,
And warms them in the dust;
15 She forgets that a foot may crush them,
Or that a wild beast may break them.
16 She (BB)treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers;
Her labor is in vain, without [u]concern,
17 Because God deprived her of wisdom,
And did not (BC)endow her with understanding.
18 When she lifts herself on high,
She scorns the horse and its rider.
19 “Have you given the horse strength?
Have you clothed his neck with [v]thunder?
20 Can you [w]frighten him like a locust?
His majestic snorting strikes terror.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
(BD)He gallops into the clash of arms.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;
Nor does he turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him,
The glittering spear and javelin.
24 He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;
Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.
25 At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’
He smells the battle from afar,
The thunder of captains and shouting.
26 “Does the hawk fly by your wisdom,
And spread its wings toward the south?
27 Does the (BE)eagle mount up at your command,
And (BF)make its nest on high?
28 On the rock it dwells and resides,
On the crag of the rock and the stronghold.
29 From there it spies out the prey;
Its eyes observe from afar.
30 Its young ones suck up blood;
And (BG)where the slain are, there it is.”
Footnotes
- Job 37:3 Or light
- Job 37:6 Lit. shower of rain
- Job 37:11 clouds of light
- Job 37:12 Lit. the world of the earth
- Job 37:13 Lit. a rod
- Job 37:15 places them
- Job 38:3 Lit. gird up your loins like
- Job 38:5 measuring line
- Job 38:15 Lit. high
- Job 38:17 Lit. opened
- Job 38:24 Lit. divided
- Job 38:30 Lit. imprisoned
- Job 38:31 Or the Seven Stars
- Job 38:32 Lit. Constellations
- Job 38:32 Or Arcturus
- Job 38:36 Lit. the inward parts
- Job 39:3 Lit. pangs
- Job 39:5 A species of wild donkey
- Job 39:6 Lit. salt land
- Job 39:12 Lit. seed
- Job 39:16 Lit. fear
- Job 39:19 Or a mane
- Job 39:20 make him spring
Job 37-39
New American Standard Bible
Job 37-39
New American Standard Bible
Elihu Says God Has Authority over the Storm
37 “At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
2 Listen closely to the (A)thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
3 Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His [a]lightning travels to the (B)ends of the earth.
4 After it, a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain [b]the lightning when His voice is heard.
5 God (C)thunders wondrously with His voice,
Doing (D)great things which we do not comprehend.
6 For to (E)the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the [c](F)downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’
7 He (G)seals the hand of every person,
So that (H)all people may know His work.
8 Then the animal goes into its (I)lair
And remains in its [d]den.
9 From the [e](J)south comes the storm,
And from the north wind the cold.
10 From the breath of God (K)ice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
11 He also (L)loads the clouds with moisture;
He (M)disperses (N)the cloud of His [f]lightning.
12 It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That [g]it may do whatever He (O)commands [h]it
On the (P)face of the inhabited earth.
13 Whether for [i](Q)correction, or for (R)His earth,
Or for (S)goodness, He causes it to [j]happen.
14 “Listen to this, Job;
Stand and consider the wonders of God.
15 Do you know how God establishes them,
And makes the [k]lightning of His clouds to shine?
16 Do you know about the hovering of the clouds,
The (T)wonders of One who is (U)perfect in knowledge,
17 You whose garments are hot
When the land is still because of the south wind?
18 Can you, with Him, (V)spread out the skies,
Strong as a cast metal mirror?
19 Teach us what we are to say to Him;
We (W)cannot present our case because of darkness.
20 Shall it be told Him that I would speak?
[l]Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?
21 “Now people do not see the light which is bright in the skies;
But the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 From the north comes golden splendor;
Around God is awesome majesty.
23 The Almighty—(X)we cannot find Him;
He is (Y)exalted in power
And (Z)He will not violate (AA)justice and abundant righteousness.
24 Therefore people (AB)fear Him;
He does not (AC)regard any who are wise of heart.”
God Speaks Now to Job
38 Then the Lord (AD)answered Job from the whirlwind and said,
2 “Who is this who (AE)darkens the divine plan
By words without knowledge?
3 Now [m](AF)tighten the belt on your waist like a man,
And (AG)I shall ask you, and you inform Me!
4 Where were you (AH)when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you [n]have understanding,
5 Who set its (AI)measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the measuring line over it?
6 On what (AJ)were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together
And all the (AK)sons of God shouted for joy?
8 “Or who (AL)enclosed the sea with doors
When it went out from the womb, bursting forth;
9 When I made a cloud its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling bands,
10 And I [o](AM)placed boundaries on it
And set a bolt and doors,
11 And I said, ‘As far as this point you shall come, but no farther;
And here your proud waves shall stop’?
God’s Mighty Power
12 “Have you [p]ever in your life commanded the morning,
And made the dawn know its place,
13 So that it would take hold of (AN)the ends of the earth,
And (AO)the wicked would be shaken off from it?
14 It is changed like clay under the seal;
And they stand out like a garment.
15 (AP)Their light is withheld from the wicked,
And the (AQ)uplifted arm is broken.
16 “Have you entered (AR)the springs of the sea,
And walked [q]in the depth of the ocean?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
And have you seen the gates of (AS)deep darkness?
18 Have you understood the [r]expanse of (AT)the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.
19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
20 That you would take it to (AU)its territory,
And discern the paths to its [s]home?
21 You know, for (AV)you were born then,
And the number of your days is great!
22 Have you entered the storehouses (AW)of the snow,
And have you seen the storehouses of the (AX)hail,
23 Which I have reserved for a time of distress,
For a day of war and battle?
24 Where is the way that (AY)the light is divided,
And the east wind scattered on the earth?
25 “Who has split open a channel for the flood,
And a way for the thunderbolt,
26 To bring (AZ)rain on a land without [t]people,
On a desert without a person in it,
27 To (BA)satisfy the waste and desolate land,
And to make the [u]seeds of grass to sprout?
28 Does (BB)the rain have a father?
Or who has fathered the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb has come the (BC)ice?
And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?
30 Water [v]becomes hard like stone,
And the surface of the deep is imprisoned.
31 “Can you tie up the chains of the (BD)Pleiades,
Or untie the cords of Orion?
32 Can you bring out a [w]constellation in its season,
And guide the Bear with her [x]satellites?
33 Do you know the (BE)ordinances of the heavens,
Or do you establish their rule over the earth?
34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds,
So that an (BF)abundance of water will cover you?
35 Can you (BG)send flashes of lightning, so that they may go
And say to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who has (BH)put wisdom in the innermost being,
Or given (BI)understanding to the [y]mind?
37 Who can count the clouds by wisdom,
And (BJ)pour out the water jars of the heavens,
38 When the dust hardens into a mass
And the clods stick together?
39 “Can you hunt the (BK)prey for the lioness,
Or satisfy the appetite of young lions,
40 When they (BL)crouch in their hiding places,
And lie in wait in their lair?
41 Who prepares [z]feed for (BM)the raven
When its young cry to God,
And wander about without food?
God Speaks of Nature and Its Beings
39 “Do you know the time the [aa](BN)mountain goats give birth?
Do you observe the calving of the (BO)deer?
2 Can you count the months they fulfill,
Or do you know the time they give birth?
3 They kneel down, they deliver their young,
They get rid of their labor pains.
4 Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field;
They leave and do not return to them.
5 “Who sent the (BP)wild donkey out free?
And who opened the bonds of the swift donkey,
6 To whom I gave (BQ)the wilderness as his home,
And the salt land as his dwelling place?
7 He laughs at the turmoil of the city,
He does not hear the shouting of the taskmaster.
8 He explores the mountains of his pasture,
And searches after every green thing.
9 Will the (BR)wild bull be willing to serve you,
Or will he spend the night at your feeding trough?
10 Can you tie down the wild bull in a furrow with [ab]ropes,
Or will he [ac]plow the valleys after you?
11 Will you trust him because his strength is great,
And leave your labor to him?
12 Will you have faith in him that he will return your [ad]grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyously,
With the pinion and feathers of [ae]love,
14 For she abandons her eggs to the earth
And warms them in the dust,
15 And she forgets that a foot may crush [af]them,
Or that a wild animal may trample [ag]them.
16 She treats her young (BS)cruelly, as if they were not hers;
Though her labor is for nothing, she is [ah]unconcerned,
17 Because God has made her forget wisdom,
And has not given her a share of understanding.
18 When she rushes away on high,
She laughs at the horse and his rider.
19 “Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
20 Do you make him (BT)leap like locusts?
His majestic (BU)snorting is frightening.
21 [ai]He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He (BV)goes out to meet the battle.
22 He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And he does not turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him,
The flashing spear and javelin.
24 He [aj]races over the ground with a roar and fury,
And he does not stand still when he hears the sound of the trumpet.
25 As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’
And he senses the battle from afar,
And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.
26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
Stretching his wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your [ak]command that the eagle flies high,
And makes (BW)his nest on high?
28 He dwells and spends his nights on the cliff,
On the rocky cliff, an inaccessible place.
29 From there he (BX)tracks food;
His eyes look at it from afar.
30 His young ones also lick up blood greedily;
And (BY)where the slain are, there he is.”
Footnotes
- Job 37:3 Lit light
- Job 37:4 Lit them
- Job 37:6 Lit shower of rain and shower of rains
- Job 37:8 Lit dens
- Job 37:9 Lit chamber
- Job 37:11 Lit light
- Job 37:12 Lit they
- Job 37:12 Lit them
- Job 37:13 Lit the rod
- Job 37:13 Lit be found
- Job 37:15 Lit light
- Job 37:20 Or If a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up
- Job 38:3 I.e., as if for battle
- Job 38:4 Lit know understanding
- Job 38:10 Lit broke My decree on it
- Job 38:12 Lit from your days commanded
- Job 38:16 Or in search of the deep
- Job 38:18 Or width
- Job 38:20 Lit house
- Job 38:26 Lit man
- Job 38:27 Or growth
- Job 38:30 Lit hides itself like
- Job 38:32 Heb Mazzaroth
- Job 38:32 Lit sons
- Job 38:36 Or rooster
- Job 38:41 Lit its feed
- Job 39:1 Lit goats of the rock
- Job 39:10 Lit his rope
- Job 39:10 I.e., pull a harrow, a farming device
- Job 39:12 Lit seed
- Job 39:13 Or a stork
- Job 39:15 Lit it
- Job 39:15 Lit it
- Job 39:16 Lit without fear
- Job 39:21 Lit They paw
- Job 39:24 Lit swallows up
- Job 39:27 Lit mouth
Job 37-39
New Living Translation
Job 37-39
New Living Translation
37 “My heart pounds as I think of this.
It trembles within me.
2 Listen carefully to the thunder of God’s voice
as it rolls from his mouth.
3 It rolls across the heavens,
and his lightning flashes in every direction.
4 Then comes the roaring of the thunder—
the tremendous voice of his majesty.
He does not restrain it when he speaks.
5 God’s voice is glorious in the thunder.
We can’t even imagine the greatness of his power.
6 “He directs the snow to fall on the earth
and tells the rain to pour down.
7 Then everyone stops working
so they can watch his power.
8 The wild animals take cover
and stay inside their dens.
9 The stormy wind comes from its chamber,
and the driving winds bring the cold.
10 God’s breath sends the ice,
freezing wide expanses of water.
11 He loads the clouds with moisture,
and they flash with his lightning.
12 The clouds churn about at his direction.
They do whatever he commands throughout the earth.
13 He makes these things happen either to punish people
or to show his unfailing love.
14 “Pay attention to this, Job.
Stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God!
15 Do you know how God controls the storm
and causes the lightning to flash from his clouds?
16 Do you understand how he moves the clouds
with wonderful perfection and skill?
17 When you are sweltering in your clothes
and the south wind dies down and everything is still,
18 he makes the skies reflect the heat like a bronze mirror.
Can you do that?
19 “So teach the rest of us what to say to God.
We are too ignorant to make our own arguments.
20 Should God be notified that I want to speak?
Can people even speak when they are confused?[a]
21 We cannot look at the sun,
for it shines brightly in the sky
when the wind clears away the clouds.
22 So also, golden splendor comes from the mountain of God.[b]
He is clothed in dazzling splendor.
23 We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty;
but even though he is just and righteous,
he does not destroy us.
24 No wonder people everywhere fear him.
All who are wise show him reverence.[c]”
The Lord Challenges Job
38 Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:
2 “Who is this that questions my wisdom
with such ignorant words?
3 Brace yourself like a man,
because I have some questions for you,
and you must answer them.
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell me, if you know so much.
5 Who determined its dimensions
and stretched out the surveying line?
6 What supports its foundations,
and who laid its cornerstone
7 as the morning stars sang together
and all the angels[d] shouted for joy?
8 “Who kept the sea inside its boundaries
as it burst from the womb,
9 and as I clothed it with clouds
and wrapped it in thick darkness?
10 For I locked it behind barred gates,
limiting its shores.
11 I said, ‘This far and no farther will you come.
Here your proud waves must stop!’
12 “Have you ever commanded the morning to appear
and caused the dawn to rise in the east?
13 Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth,
to bring an end to the night’s wickedness?
14 As the light approaches,
the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal;
it is robed in brilliant colors.[e]
15 The light disturbs the wicked
and stops the arm that is raised in violence.
16 “Have you explored the springs from which the seas come?
Have you explored their depths?
17 Do you know where the gates of death are located?
Have you seen the gates of utter gloom?
18 Do you realize the extent of the earth?
Tell me about it if you know!
19 “Where does light come from,
and where does darkness go?
20 Can you take each to its home?
Do you know how to get there?
21 But of course you know all this!
For you were born before it was all created,
and you are so very experienced!
22 “Have you visited the storehouses of the snow
or seen the storehouses of hail?
23 (I have reserved them as weapons for the time of trouble,
for the day of battle and war.)
24 Where is the path to the source of light?
Where is the home of the east wind?
25 “Who created a channel for the torrents of rain?
Who laid out the path for the lightning?
26 Who makes the rain fall on barren land,
in a desert where no one lives?
27 Who sends rain to satisfy the parched ground
and make the tender grass spring up?
28 “Does the rain have a father?
Who gives birth to the dew?
29 Who is the mother of the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens?
30 For the water turns to ice as hard as rock,
and the surface of the water freezes.
31 “Can you direct the movement of the stars—
binding the cluster of the Pleiades
or loosening the cords of Orion?
32 Can you direct the constellations through the seasons
or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens?
33 Do you know the laws of the universe?
Can you use them to regulate the earth?
34 “Can you shout to the clouds
and make it rain?
35 Can you make lightning appear
and cause it to strike as you direct?
36 Who gives intuition to the heart
and instinct to the mind?
37 Who is wise enough to count all the clouds?
Who can tilt the water jars of heaven
38 when the parched ground is dry
and the soil has hardened into clods?
39 “Can you stalk prey for a lioness
and satisfy the young lions’ appetites
40 as they lie in their dens
or crouch in the thicket?
41 Who provides food for the ravens
when their young cry out to God
and wander about in hunger?
The Lord’s Challenge Continues
39 “Do you know when the wild goats give birth?
Have you watched as deer are born in the wild?
2 Do you know how many months they carry their young?
Are you aware of the time of their delivery?
3 They crouch down to give birth to their young
and deliver their offspring.
4 Their young grow up in the open fields,
then leave home and never return.
5 “Who gives the wild donkey its freedom?
Who untied its ropes?
6 I have placed it in the wilderness;
its home is the wasteland.
7 It hates the noise of the city
and has no driver to shout at it.
8 The mountains are its pastureland,
where it searches for every blade of grass.
9 “Will the wild ox consent to being tamed?
Will it spend the night in your stall?
10 Can you hitch a wild ox to a plow?
Will it plow a field for you?
11 Given its strength, can you trust it?
Can you leave and trust the ox to do your work?
12 Can you rely on it to bring home your grain
and deliver it to your threshing floor?
13 “The ostrich flaps her wings grandly,
but they are no match for the feathers of the stork.
14 She lays her eggs on top of the earth,
letting them be warmed in the dust.
15 She doesn’t worry that a foot might crush them
or a wild animal might destroy them.
16 She is harsh toward her young,
as if they were not her own.
She doesn’t care if they die.
17 For God has deprived her of wisdom.
He has given her no understanding.
18 But whenever she jumps up to run,
she passes the swiftest horse with its rider.
19 “Have you given the horse its strength
or clothed its neck with a flowing mane?
20 Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust?
Its majestic snorting is terrifying!
21 It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength
when it charges out to battle.
22 It laughs at fear and is unafraid.
It does not run from the sword.
23 The arrows rattle against it,
and the spear and javelin flash.
24 It paws the ground fiercely
and rushes forward into battle when the ram’s horn blows.
25 It snorts at the sound of the horn.
It senses the battle in the distance.
It quivers at the captain’s commands and the noise of battle.
26 “Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar
and spread its wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle rises
to the heights to make its nest?
28 It lives on the cliffs,
making its home on a distant, rocky crag.
29 From there it hunts its prey,
keeping watch with piercing eyes.
30 Its young gulp down blood.
Where there’s a carcass, there you’ll find it.”
Job 37-39
The Message
Job 37-39
The Message
37 1-13 “Whenever this happens, my heart stops—
I’m stunned, I can’t catch my breath.
Listen to it! Listen to his thunder,
the rolling, rumbling thunder of his voice.
He lets loose his lightnings from horizon to horizon,
lighting up the earth from pole to pole.
In their wake, the thunder echoes his voice,
powerful and majestic.
He lets out all the stops, he holds nothing back.
No one can mistake that voice—
His word thundering so wondrously,
his mighty acts staggering our understanding.
He orders the snow, ‘Blanket the earth!’
and the rain, ‘Soak the whole countryside!’
No one can escape the weather—it’s there.
And no one can escape from God.
Wild animals take shelter,
crawling into their dens,
When blizzards roar out of the north
and freezing rain crusts the land.
It’s God’s breath that forms the ice,
it’s God’s breath that turns lakes and rivers solid.
And yes, it’s God who fills clouds with rainwater
and hurls lightning from them every which way.
He puts them through their paces—first this way, then that—
commands them to do what he says all over the world.
Whether for discipline or grace or extravagant love,
he makes sure they make their mark.
A Terrible Beauty Streams from God
14-18 “Job, are you listening? Have you noticed all this?
Stop in your tracks! Take in God’s miracle-wonders!
Do you have any idea how God does it all,
how he makes bright lightning from dark storms,
How he piles up the cumulus clouds—
all these miracle-wonders of a perfect Mind?
Why, you don’t even know how to keep cool
on a sweltering hot day,
So how could you even dream
of making a dent in that hot-tin-roof sky?
19-22 “If you’re so smart, give us a lesson in how to address God.
We’re in the dark and can’t figure it out.
Do you think I’m dumb enough to challenge God?
Wouldn’t that just be asking for trouble?
No one in his right mind stares straight at the sun
on a clear and cloudless day.
As gold comes from the northern mountains,
so a terrible beauty streams from God.
23-24 “Mighty God! Far beyond our reach!
Unsurpassable in power and justice!
It’s unthinkable that he’d treat anyone unfairly.
So bow to him in deep reverence, one and all!
If you’re wise, you’ll most certainly worship him.”
God Confronts Job
Have You Gotten to the Bottom of Things?
38 1-11 And now, finally, God answered Job from the eye of a violent storm. He said:
“Why do you confuse the issue?
Why do you talk without knowing what you’re talking about?
Pull yourself together, Job!
Up on your feet! Stand tall!
I have some questions for you,
and I want some straight answers.
Where were you when I created the earth?
Tell me, since you know so much!
Who decided on its size? Certainly you’ll know that!
Who came up with the blueprints and measurements?
How was its foundation poured,
and who set the cornerstone,
While the morning stars sang in chorus
and all the angels shouted praise?
And who took charge of the ocean
when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb?
That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds,
and tucked it in safely at night.
Then I made a playpen for it,
a strong playpen so it couldn’t run loose,
And said, ‘Stay here, this is your place.
Your wild tantrums are confined to this place.’
12-15 “And have you ever ordered Morning, ‘Get up!’
told Dawn, ‘Get to work!’
So you could seize Earth like a blanket
and shake out the wicked like cockroaches?
As the sun brings everything to light,
brings out all the colors and shapes,
The cover of darkness is snatched from the wicked—
they’re caught in the very act!
16-18 “Have you ever gotten to the true bottom of things,
explored the labyrinthine caves of deep ocean?
Do you know the first thing about death?
Do you have one clue regarding death’s dark mysteries?
And do you have any idea how large this earth is?
Speak up if you have even the beginning of an answer.
19-21 “Do you know where Light comes from
and where Darkness lives
So you can take them by the hand
and lead them home when they get lost?
Why, of course you know that.
You’ve known them all your life,
grown up in the same neighborhood with them!
22-30 “Have you ever traveled to where snow is made,
seen the vault where hail is stockpiled,
The arsenals of hail and snow that I keep in readiness
for times of trouble and battle and war?
Can you find your way to where lightning is launched,
or to the place from which the wind blows?
Who do you suppose carves canyons
for the downpours of rain, and charts
the route of thunderstorms
That bring water to unvisited fields,
deserts no one ever lays eyes on,
Drenching the useless wastelands
so they’re carpeted with wildflowers and grass?
And who do you think is the father of rain and dew,
the mother of ice and frost?
You don’t for a minute imagine
these marvels of weather just happen, do you?
31-33 “Can you catch the eye of the beautiful Pleiades sisters,
or distract Orion from his hunt?
Can you get Venus to look your way,
or get the Great Bear and her cubs to come out and play?
Do you know the first thing about the sky’s constellations
and how they affect things on Earth?
34-35 “Can you get the attention of the clouds,
and commission a shower of rain?
Can you take charge of the lightning bolts
and have them report to you for orders?
What Do You Have to Say for Yourself?
36-38 “Who do you think gave weather-wisdom to the ibis,
and storm-savvy to the rooster?
Does anyone know enough to number all the clouds
or tip over the rain barrels of heaven
When the earth is cracked and dry,
the ground baked hard as a brick?
39-41 “Can you teach the lioness to stalk her prey
and satisfy the appetite of her cubs
As they crouch in their den,
waiting hungrily in their cave?
And who sets out food for the ravens
when their young cry to God,
fluttering about because they have no food?”
39 1-4 “Do you know the month when mountain goats give birth?
Have you ever watched a doe bear her fawn?
Do you know how many months she is pregnant?
Do you know the season of her delivery,
when she crouches down and drops her offspring?
Her young ones flourish and are soon on their own;
they leave and don’t come back.
5-8 “Who do you think set the wild donkey free,
opened the corral gates and let him go?
I gave him the whole wilderness to roam in,
the rolling plains and wide-open places.
He laughs at his city cousins, who are harnessed and harried.
He’s oblivious to the cries of teamsters.
He grazes freely through the hills,
nibbling anything that’s green.
9-12 “Will the wild buffalo condescend to serve you,
volunteer to spend the night in your barn?
Can you imagine hitching your plow to a buffalo
and getting him to till your fields?
He’s hugely strong, yes, but could you trust him,
would you dare turn the job over to him?
You wouldn’t for a minute depend on him, would you,
to do what you said when you said it?
13-18 “The ostrich flaps her wings futilely—
all those beautiful feathers, but useless!
She lays her eggs on the hard ground,
leaves them there in the dirt, exposed to the weather,
Not caring that they might get stepped on and cracked
or trampled by some wild animal.
She’s negligent with her young, as if they weren’t even hers.
She cares nothing about anything.
She wasn’t created very smart, that’s for sure,
wasn’t given her share of good sense.
But when she runs, oh, how she runs,
laughing, leaving horse and rider in the dust.
19-25 “Are you the one who gave the horse his prowess
and adorned him with a shimmering mane?
Did you create him to prance proudly
and strike terror with his royal snorts?
He paws the ground fiercely, eager and spirited,
then charges into the fray.
He laughs at danger, fearless,
doesn’t shy away from the sword.
The banging and clanging
of quiver and lance don’t faze him.
He quivers with excitement, and at the trumpet blast
races off at a gallop.
At the sound of the trumpet he neighs mightily,
smelling the excitement of battle from a long way off,
catching the rolling thunder of the war cries.
26-30 “Was it through your know-how that the hawk learned to fly,
soaring effortlessly on thermal updrafts?
Did you command the eagle’s flight,
and teach her to build her nest in the heights,
Perfectly at home on the high cliff face,
invulnerable on pinnacle and crag?
From her perch she searches for prey,
spies it at a great distance.
Her young gorge themselves on carrion;
wherever there’s a roadkill, you’ll see her circling.”
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson