Job 38-39 (English Standard Version)

Job 38

The LORD Answers Job

 ¹Then the LORD^(A) answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
 ²"Who is this that^(B) darkens counsel by words^(C) without knowledge? ^3(D) Dress for action^[a] like a man;
   I will question you, and you make it known to me.

 ⁴"Where were you when I^(E) laid the foundation of the earth?
   Tell me, if you have understanding.
⁵Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
   Or who stretched the line upon it?
⁶On what were its bases sunk,
   or who laid its cornerstone,
⁷when the morning stars^(F) sang together
   and all^(G) the sons of God^(H) shouted for joy?

 ⁸"Or who^(I) shut in the sea with doors
   when it burst out from the womb,
⁹when I made clouds its garment
   and^(J) thick darkness its swaddling band,
¹⁰and prescribed^(K) limits for it
   and set bars and doors,
¹¹and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
   and here shall your^(L) proud waves be stayed'?

 ¹²"Have you^(M) commanded the morning since your days began,
   and caused the dawn to know its place,
¹³that it might take hold of^(N) the skirts of the earth,
   and the wicked be^(O) shaken out of it?
¹⁴It is changed like clay under the seal,
   and its features stand out like a garment.
¹⁵From the wicked their^(P) light is withheld,
   and^(Q) their uplifted arm is broken.

 ¹⁶"Have you^(R) entered into the springs of the sea,
   or walked in the recesses of the deep?
¹⁷Have^(S) the gates of death been revealed to you,
   or have you seen the gates of^(T) deep darkness?
¹⁸Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
   Declare, if you know all this.

 ¹⁹"Where is the way to the dwelling of light,
   and where is the place of darkness,
²⁰that you may take it to its territory
   and that you may discern^(U) the paths to its home?
²¹You know, for^(V) you were born then,
   and the number of your days is great!

 ²²"Have you entered^(W) the storehouses of the snow,
   or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
²³which I have reserved^(X) for the time of trouble,
   for the day of battle and war?
²⁴What is the way to the place where the light is distributed,
   or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?

 ²⁵"Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain
   and^(Y) a way for the thunderbolt,
²⁶to bring rain on^(Z) a land where no man is,
   on^(AA) the desert in which there is no man,
²⁷to satisfy the waste and desolate land,
   and to make the ground sprout with^(AB) grass?

 ²⁸"Has^(AC) the rain a father,
   or who has begotten the drops of dew?
²⁹From whose womb did^(AD) the ice come forth,
   and who has given birth to the frost of heaven?
³⁰The waters become hard like stone,
   and the face of the deep is^(AE) frozen.

 ³¹"Can you bind the chains of^(AF) the Pleiades
   or loose the cords of Orion?
³²Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth^[b] in their season,
   or can you guide^(AG) the Bear with its children?
³³Do you know^(AH) the ordinances of the heavens?
   Can you establish their rule on the earth?

 ³⁴"Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
   that^(AI) a flood of waters may cover you?
³⁵Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go
   and say to you, 'Here we are'?
³⁶Who has^(AJ) put wisdom in^(AK) the inward parts^[c]
   or given understanding to the mind?^[d]
37Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
   Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,
³⁸when the dust runs into a mass
   and^(AL) the clods stick fast together?

 ³⁹"Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
   or^(AM) satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
⁴⁰when they crouch in their^(AN) dens
   or lie in wait^(AO) in their thicket?
⁴¹Who provides for^(AP) the raven its prey,
   when its young ones cry to God for help,
   and wander about for lack of food?

Job 39

 ¹"Do you know when^(AQ) the mountain goats give birth?
   Do you observe^(AR) the calving of the does?
²Can you number the months that they fulfill,
   and do you know the time when they give birth,
³when they^(AS) crouch, bring forth their offspring,
   and are delivered of their young?
⁴Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open;
   they go out and^(AT) do not return to them.

 ⁵"Who has let the wild donkey go free?
   Who has^(AU) loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
⁶to whom I have given^(AV) the arid plain for his home
   and^(AW) the salt land for his dwelling place?
⁷He scorns the tumult of the city;
   he hears not the shouts of the driver.
⁸He ranges the mountains as his pasture,
   and he searches after every green thing.

 ⁹"Is^(AX) the wild ox willing to serve you?
   Will he spend the night at your^(AY) manger?
¹⁰Can you bind^(AZ) him in the furrow with ropes,
   or will he harrow the valleys after you?
¹¹Will you depend on him because his strength is great,
   and will you leave to him your labor?
¹²Do you have faith in him that he will return your grain
   and gather it to your threshing floor?

 ¹³"The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
   but are they the pinions and plumage of love?^[e]
14For she leaves her eggs to the earth
   and lets them be warmed on the ground,
¹⁵forgetting that a foot may crush them
   and that the wild beast may trample them.
¹⁶She^(BA) deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers;
   though her^(BB) labor be in vain, yet she has no fear,
¹⁷because God has made her forget wisdom
   and^(BC) given her no share in understanding.
¹⁸When she rouses herself to flee,^[f]
   she laughs at the horse and his rider.

 ¹⁹"Do you give the horse his might?
   Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
²⁰Do you make him leap like the locust?
   His majestic^(BD) snorting is terrifying.
²¹He paws^[g] in the valley and exults in his strength;
   he^(BE) goes out to meet the weapons.
²²He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
   he does not turn back from the sword.
²³Upon him rattle the quiver,
   the flashing spear, and the javelin.
²⁴With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground;
   he cannot stand still at^(BF) the sound of the trumpet.
²⁵When the trumpet sounds, he says 'Aha!'
   He smells the battle from afar,
   the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

 ²⁶"Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars
   and spreads his wings toward the south?
²⁷Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
   and makes his^(BG) nest on high?
²⁸On the rock he dwells and makes his home,
   on^(BH) the rocky crag and stronghold.
²⁹From there he spies out the prey;
   his eyes behold it from far away.
³⁰His young ones suck up blood,
   and^(BI) where the slain are, there is he."