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God Speaks Now to Job

38 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,


“Who is this that darkens counsel [questioning my authority and wisdom]
By words without knowledge?(A)

“Now [a]gird up your loins like a man,
And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know and have understanding.

“Who determined the measurements [of the earth], if you know?
Or who stretched the [measuring] line on it?

“On what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,

When the morning stars sang together
And all the sons of God (angels) shouted for joy?


“Or who enclosed the sea with doors
When it burst forth and went out of the womb;

When I made the clouds its garment
And thick darkness its swaddling band,
10 
And marked for it My [appointed] boundary
And set bars and doors [defining the shorelines],(B)
11 
And said, ‘This far you shall come, but no farther;
And here your proud waves shall stop’?(C)

God’s Mighty Power

12 
Since your days began, have you ever commanded the morning,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13 
So that light may take hold of the corners of the earth
And shake the wickedness out of it?
14 
“The earth is changed like clay into which a seal is pressed;
And the things [of the earth] stand out like a [multi-colored] garment.
15 
“Their light is withheld from the wicked,
And the uplifted arm is broken.

16 
“Have you entered and explored 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 deep darkness?
18 
“Have you understood the expanse of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.

19 
“Where is the [b]way where light dwells?
And as for darkness, where is its place,
20 
That you may take it to its territory
And that you may know the paths to its house?
21 
“You [must] know, since you were born then,
And [c]because you are so extremely old!
22 
“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
23 
Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?(D)
24 
“Where is the way that the light is distributed,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?

25 
“Who has prepared a channel for the torrents of rain and for the flood,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
26 
To bring rain on the uninhabited land,
And on the desert where no man lives,
27 
To satisfy the barren and desolate ground
And to make the seeds of grass to sprout?
28 
“Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 
“Out of whose womb has come the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?
30 
“Water becomes like stone [and hides itself],
And the surface of the deep is frozen and imprisoned.

31 
“Can you bind the chains of [the cluster of stars called] Pleiades,
Or loose the cords of [the constellation] Orion?
32 
“Can you lead forth a [d]constellation in its season,
And guide [the stars of] the Bear with her [e]sons?
33 
“Do you know the ordinances of the heavens,
Or [can you] establish their rule over the earth?

34 
“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
So that an abundance of water will cover you?
35 
“Can you send forth lightnings that they may go
And say to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 
“Who has put wisdom in the innermost being [of man, or in the layers of clouds]
Or given understanding to the mind [of man, or to the heavenly display]?
37 
“Who can count the clouds by [earthly] wisdom,
Or pour out the water jars of the heavens,
38 
When the dust hardens into a mass
And the clods stick together [because of the heat]?

39 
“Can you [Job] hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions
40 
When they crouch in their dens
And lie in wait in their lair?
41 
“Who provides prey for 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 when the wild goats of the rock give birth [to their young]?
Do you observe the calving of the deer?

“Can you count the months that they [f]carry offspring,
Or do you know the time when they give birth?

“They kneel down, they bring forth their young,
They cast out their labor pains.

“Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field;
They leave and do not return to them.


“Who sent out the wild donkey free [from dependence on man]?
And who has loosed the bonds of the wild donkey [to survive in the wild],

To whom I gave the wilderness as his home
And the salt land as his dwelling place?

“He scorns the tumult of the city,
And does not hear the shouting of the taskmaster.

“He explores the mountains as his pasture
And searches after every green thing.

“Will the wild ox be willing to serve you,
Or remain beside your manger at night?
10 
“Can you bind the wild ox with a harness [to the plow] in the furrow?
Or will he plow the valleys for you?
11 
“Will you trust him because his strength is great
And leave your labor to him?
12 
“Will you have faith and depend on him to return your grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?

13 
“The [flightless] wings of the ostrich wave joyously;
With the pinion (shackles, fetters) and plumage of love,
14 
For she leaves her eggs on the ground
And warms them in the dust,
15 
Forgetting that a foot may crush them,
Or that the wild beast may trample them.
16 
“She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers;
Though her labor is in vain because she is unconcerned [for the safety of her brood],
17 
For God has made her forget wisdom,
And has not given her a share of understanding.
18 
“Yet when she lifts herself [g]on high,
[So swift is she that] she laughs at the horse and his rider.

19 
“Have you given the horse his might?
Have you clothed his neck with quivering and a shaking mane?
20 
“Have you [Job] made him leap like a locust?
The majesty of his snorting [nostrils] is terrible.
21 
“He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength;
He goes out to meet the weapons [of armed men].
22 
“He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And [in battle] he does not turn back from the sword.
23 
“The quiver rattles against him,
[As do] the flashing spear and the lance [of his rider].
24 
“With fierceness and rage he races to devour the ground,
And he does not stand still at the sound of the [war] trumpet.
25 
“As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’
And he smells the battle from far away,
And senses 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 [as winter approaches]?
27 
“Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
And makes his nest on high [in an inaccessible place]?
28 
“On the cliff he dwells and remains [securely],
Upon the point of the rock and the inaccessible stronghold.
29 
“From there he spies out the prey;
His eyes see it from far away.
30 
“His young ones suck up blood;
And where the slain are, there is he.”

Job: What Can I Say?

40 Then the Lord said to Job,


“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
Let him who disputes with God answer it.”

Then Job replied to the Lord and said,


“Behold, I am of little importance and contemptible; what can I reply to You?
I lay my hand on my mouth.(E)

“I have spoken once, but I will not reply again—
Indeed, twice [I have answered], and I will add nothing further.”

God Questions Job

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, saying,


“Now [h]gird up your loins (prepare yourself) like a man,
And I will ask you, and you instruct Me.

“Will you really annul My judgment and set it aside as void?
Will you condemn Me [your God] that you may [appear to] be righteous and justified?

“Have you an arm like God,
And can you thunder with a voice like His?

10 
“Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity [since you question the Almighty],
And array yourself with honor and majesty.
11 
“Pour out the overflowings of your wrath,
And look at everyone who is proud and make him low.
12 
Look at everyone who is proud, and humble him,
And [if you are so able] tread down the wicked where they stand.
13 
“[Crush and] hide them in the dust together;
Shut them up in the hidden place [the house of death].
14 
“[If you can do all this, Job, proving your divine power] then I [God] will also praise you and acknowledge
That your own right hand can save you.

God’s Power Shown in Creatures

15 
“Behold now, [i]Behemoth, which I created as well as you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16 
“See now, his strength is in his loins
And his power is in the muscles and sinews of his belly.
17 
“He sways his tail like a cedar;
The tendons of his thighs are twisted and knit together [like a rope].
18 
“His bones are tubes of bronze;
His [j]limbs are like bars of iron.

19 
“He is the first [in magnitude and power] of the works of God;
[Only] He who made him can bring near His sword [to master him].
20 
“Surely the mountains bring him food,
And all the wild animals play there.
21 
“He lies down under the lotus plants,
In the hidden shelter of the reeds in the marsh.
22 
“The lotus plants cover him with their shade;
The willows of the brook surround him.
23 
“If a river rages and overflows, he does not tremble;
He is confident, though the Jordan [River] swells and rushes against his mouth.
24 
“Can anyone capture him when he is on watch,
Or pierce his nose with barbs [to trap him]?

God’s Power Shown in Creatures

41 [k]Can you draw out [l]Leviathan with a fishhook?
Or press down his tongue with a cord?

“Can you put a rope [made] of rushes into his nose
Or pierce his jaw through with a hook?

“Will he make many supplications to you [begging to be spared]?
Or will he speak soft words to you [to coax you to treat him kindly]?

“Will he make a covenant or an arrangement with you?
Will you take him for your servant forever?

“Will you play with him as with a bird?
Or will you bind him [and put him on a leash] for your maidens?

“Will traders bargain over him?
Will they divide him up among the merchants?

“Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?

“Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle [with him]; you will not do such [an ill-advised thing] again!

[m]Behold, his [assailant’s] hope and expectation [of defeating Leviathan] is false;
Will not one be overwhelmed even at the sight of him?
10 
“No one is so fierce [and foolhardy] that he dares to stir up Leviathan;
Who then is he who can stand before Me [or dares to contend with Me, the beast’s creator]?
11 
“Who has first given to Me that I should repay him?
Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine. [Who can have a claim against Me who made the unmastered beast?](F)

12 
“I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,
Nor his mighty strength, nor his orderly frame.
13 
“Who can penetrate or strip off his outer armor?
Who can come to his jaws with a double bridle?
14 
“Who can open the doors (jaws) of his face?
Around his [open jaws and] teeth there is terror.
15 
“His strong scales are his pride,
Bound together as with a tight seal.
16 
“One is so near to another
That no air can come between them.
17 
“They are joined one to another;
They stick together and cannot be separated.
18 
“His sneezes flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the [reddish] eyelids of the dawn.
19 
“Out of his mouth go burning torches,
And sparks of fire leap out.
20 
“Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth
As from a boiling pot and [as from] burning rushes.
21 
“His breath kindles coals,
And a flame goes forth from his mouth.
22 
“In Leviathan’s neck resides strength,
And dismay and terror dance before him.
23 
“The folds of his flesh are joined together,
Firm on him and immobile [when he moves].
24 
“His heart is as hard as a stone,
Indeed, as solid as a lower millstone.
25 
“When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid;
Because of the crashing they are bewildered.
26 
“The sword that reaches him cannot avail,
Nor [does] the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
27 
“He considers iron as straw,
Bronze as rotten wood.
28 
“The arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones are treated as stubble by him.
29 
“Clubs [also] are regarded as stubble;
He laughs at the rushing and the rattling of the javelin.
30 
“His underparts are like sharp pieces of broken pottery;
He moves across and spreads out [grooves] like a threshing sledge on the mire (muddy river banks).
31 
“He makes the deep water boil like a pot;
He makes the sea like a [foaming] pot of ointment.
32 
“Behind him he makes a shining wake;
One would think the deep to be gray-haired [with foam].
33 
“Upon earth there is nothing like him—no equal exists,
A creature made without fear.
34 
“He looks on everything that is high [without terror];
He is monarch over all the sons of pride. [And now, Job, [n]who are you who does not dare to disturb the beast, yet who dares resist Me, the beast’s creator? Everything under the heavens is Mine; therefore, who can have a claim against God?]”

Job’s Confession

42 Then Job answered the Lord and said,


“I know that You can do all things,
And that no thought or purpose of Yours can be restrained.

“[You said to me] ‘Who is this that darkens and obscures counsel [by words] without knowledge?’
Therefore [I now see] I have [rashly] uttered that which I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.(G)

‘Hear, please, and I will speak;
I will ask You, and You instruct [and answer] me.’

“I had heard of You [only] by the hearing of the ear,
But now my [spiritual] eye sees You.

“Therefore I retract [my words and hate myself]
And I repent in dust and ashes.”

God Displeased with Job’s Friends

It came about that after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him [and his prayer] so that I may not deal with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.

God Restores Job’s Fortunes

10 The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.(H) 11 Then all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him over all the [distressing] adversities that the Lord had brought on him. And each one gave him a piece of money, and each a ring of gold. 12 And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.(I) 13 He had seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first [daughter] Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15 In all the land there were found no women so fair as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. 17 So Job died, an old man and full of days.(J)

Footnotes

  1. Job 38:3 A phrase often found in the Bible that is an urgent call to get ready for immediate action, or it may be a call to prepare for a coming action or event. The phrase is related to the type of clothing worn in ancient times. To keep from impeding the wearer during any vigorous activity, e.g. battle, exercise, strenuous work, etc., the loose ends of garments (tunics, cloaks, mantles, etc.) had to be gathered up and tucked into the girdle. The girdle was a band about six inches wide that had fasteners in front. It was worn around the loins (the midsection of the body between the lower ribs and the hips). Gird up your mind or gird up your heart are examples of variants of this phrase and call for mental or spiritual preparation for a coming challenge.
  2. Job 38:19 Light travels on a path or “way” through empty space at 299,792,458 meters per second (approximately 186,282 miles per second).
  3. Job 38:21 Lit the number of your days is great.
  4. Job 38:32 Heb Mazzaroth.
  5. Job 38:32 Or satellites.
  6. Job 39:2 Lit fulfill.
  7. Job 39:18 Or to flee.
  8. Job 40:7 See note 38:3.
  9. Job 40:15 Or the hippopotamus. Although Behemoth cannot be identified with certainty, the biblical description seems most like the hippopotamus. In ancient times it may have been even more formidable than today. In Job’s day the hippopotamus was the largest known creature, was commonly found in the lower Nile River, and may also have existed in the Jordan.
  10. Job 40:18 Lit bones.
  11. Job 41:1 Ch 40:25 in Hebrew.
  12. Job 41:1 Or the crocodile. In recent years archeologists have uncovered the remains of crocodiles much larger and far more terrifying than those known today.
  13. Job 41:9 Ch 41:4 in Hebrew.
  14. Job 41:34 This repeats the thought of vv 10, 11, which is the key to God’s argument with Job.

The Lord Speaks

38 Then the Lord spoke to Job(A) out of the storm.(B) He said:

“Who is this that obscures my plans(C)
    with words without knowledge?(D)
Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.(E)

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?(F)
    Tell me, if you understand.(G)
Who marked off its dimensions?(H) Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line(I) across it?
On what were its footings set,(J)
    or who laid its cornerstone(K)
while the morning stars(L) sang together(M)
    and all the angels[a](N) shouted for joy?(O)

“Who shut up the sea behind doors(P)
    when it burst forth from the womb,(Q)
when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,(R)
10 when I fixed limits for it(S)
    and set its doors and bars in place,(T)
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;(U)
    here is where your proud waves halt’?(V)

12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning,(W)
    or shown the dawn its place,(X)
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
    and shake the wicked(Y) out of it?(Z)
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;(AA)
    its features stand out like those of a garment.
15 The wicked are denied their light,(AB)
    and their upraised arm is broken.(AC)

16 “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?(AD)
17 Have the gates of death(AE) been shown to you?
    Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?(AF)
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?(AG)
    Tell me, if you know all this.(AH)

19 “What is the way to the abode of light?
    And where does darkness reside?(AI)
20 Can you take them to their places?
    Do you know the paths(AJ) to their dwellings?
21 Surely you know, for you were already born!(AK)
    You have lived so many years!

22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow(AL)
    or seen the storehouses(AM) of the hail,(AN)
23 which I reserve for times of trouble,(AO)
    for days of war and battle?(AP)
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,(AQ)
    or the place where the east winds(AR) are scattered over the earth?(AS)
25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
    and a path for the thunderstorm,(AT)
26 to water(AU) a land where no one lives,
    an uninhabited desert,(AV)
27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
    and make it sprout with grass?(AW)
28 Does the rain have a father?(AX)
    Who fathers the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
    Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens(AY)
30 when the waters become hard as stone,
    when the surface of the deep is frozen?(AZ)

31 “Can you bind the chains[b] of the Pleiades?
    Can you loosen Orion’s belt?(BA)
32 Can you bring forth the constellations(BB) in their seasons[c]
    or lead out the Bear[d] with its cubs?(BC)
33 Do you know the laws(BD) of the heavens?(BE)
    Can you set up God’s[e] dominion over the earth?

34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds
    and cover yourself with a flood of water?(BF)
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?(BG)
    Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who gives the ibis wisdom[f](BH)
    or gives the rooster understanding?[g](BI)
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
    Who can tip over the water jars(BJ) of the heavens(BK)
38 when the dust becomes hard(BL)
    and the clods of earth stick together?(BM)

39 “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
    and satisfy the hunger of the lions(BN)
40 when they crouch in their dens(BO)
    or lie in wait in a thicket?(BP)
41 Who provides food(BQ) for the raven(BR)
    when its young cry out to God
    and wander about for lack of food?(BS)

39 “Do you know when the mountain goats(BT) give birth?
    Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?(BU)
Do you count the months till they bear?
    Do you know the time they give birth?(BV)
They crouch down and bring forth their young;
    their labor pains are ended.
Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
    they leave and do not return.

“Who let the wild donkey(BW) go free?
    Who untied its ropes?
I gave it the wasteland(BX) as its home,
    the salt flats(BY) as its habitat.(BZ)
It laughs(CA) at the commotion in the town;
    it does not hear a driver’s shout.(CB)
It ranges the hills(CC) for its pasture
    and searches for any green thing.

“Will the wild ox(CD) consent to serve you?(CE)
    Will it stay by your manger(CF) at night?
10 Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness?(CG)
    Will it till the valleys behind you?
11 Will you rely on it for its great strength?(CH)
    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.(CI)
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.(CJ)
16 She treats her young harshly,(CK) 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.(CL)
18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
    she laughs(CM) at horse and rider.

19 “Do you give the horse its strength(CN)
    or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
20 Do you make it leap like a locust,(CO)
    striking terror(CP) with its proud snorting?(CQ)
21 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,(CR)
    and charges into the fray.(CS)
22 It laughs(CT) at fear, afraid of nothing;
    it does not shy away from the sword.
23 The quiver(CU) rattles against its side,
    along with the flashing spear(CV) and lance.
24 In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground;
    it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.(CW)
25 At the blast of the trumpet(CX) it snorts, ‘Aha!’
    It catches the scent of battle from afar,
    the shout of commanders and the battle cry.(CY)

26 “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
    and spread its wings toward the south?(CZ)
27 Does the eagle soar at your command
    and build its nest on high?(DA)
28 It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;
    a rocky crag(DB) is its stronghold.
29 From there it looks for food;(DC)
    its eyes detect it from afar.
30 Its young ones feast on blood,
    and where the slain are, there it is.”(DD)

40 The Lord said to Job:(DE)

“Will the one who contends with the Almighty(DF) correct him?(DG)
    Let him who accuses God answer him!”(DH)

Then Job answered the Lord:

“I am unworthy(DI)—how can I reply to you?
    I put my hand over my mouth.(DJ)
I spoke once, but I have no answer(DK)
    twice, but I will say no more.”(DL)

Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:(DM)

“Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.(DN)

“Would you discredit my justice?(DO)
    Would you condemn me to justify yourself?(DP)
Do you have an arm like God’s,(DQ)
    and can your voice(DR) thunder like his?(DS)
10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
    and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.(DT)
11 Unleash the fury of your wrath,(DU)
    look at all who are proud and bring them low,(DV)
12 look at all who are proud(DW) and humble them,(DX)
    crush(DY) the wicked where they stand.
13 Bury them all in the dust together;(DZ)
    shroud their faces in the grave.(EA)
14 Then I myself will admit to you
    that your own right hand can save you.(EB)

15 “Look at Behemoth,
    which I made(EC) along with you
    and which feeds on grass like an ox.(ED)
16 What strength(EE) it has in its loins,
    what power in the muscles of its belly!(EF)
17 Its tail sways like a cedar;
    the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.(EG)
18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,
    its limbs(EH) like rods of iron.(EI)
19 It ranks first among the works of God,(EJ)
    yet its Maker(EK) can approach it with his sword.(EL)
20 The hills bring it their produce,(EM)
    and all the wild animals play(EN) nearby.(EO)
21 Under the lotus plants it lies,
    hidden among the reeds(EP) in the marsh.(EQ)
22 The lotuses conceal it in their shadow;
    the poplars by the stream(ER) surround it.
23 A raging river(ES) does not alarm it;
    it is secure, though the Jordan(ET) should surge against its mouth.
24 Can anyone capture it by the eyes,
    or trap it and pierce its nose?(EU)

41 [h]“Can you pull in Leviathan(EV) with a fishhook(EW)
    or tie down its tongue with a rope?
Can you put a cord through its nose(EX)
    or pierce its jaw with a hook?(EY)
Will it keep begging you for mercy?(EZ)
    Will it speak to you with gentle words?
Will it make an agreement with you
    for you to take it as your slave for life?(FA)
Can you make a pet of it like a bird
    or put it on a leash for the young women in your house?
Will traders barter for it?
    Will they divide it up among the merchants?
Can you fill its hide with harpoons
    or its head with fishing spears?(FB)
If you lay a hand on it,
    you will remember the struggle and never do it again!(FC)
Any hope of subduing it is false;
    the mere sight of it is overpowering.(FD)
10 No one is fierce enough to rouse it.(FE)
    Who then is able to stand against me?(FF)
11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay?(FG)
    Everything under heaven belongs to me.(FH)

12 “I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs,(FI)
    its strength(FJ) and its graceful form.
13 Who can strip off its outer coat?
    Who can penetrate its double coat of armor[i]?(FK)
14 Who dares open the doors of its mouth,(FL)
    ringed about with fearsome teeth?
15 Its back has[j] rows of shields
    tightly sealed together;(FM)
16 each is so close to the next
    that no air can pass between.
17 They are joined fast to one another;
    they cling together and cannot be parted.
18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light;
    its eyes are like the rays of dawn.(FN)
19 Flames(FO) stream from its mouth;
    sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke pours from its nostrils(FP)
    as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
21 Its breath(FQ) sets coals ablaze,
    and flames dart from its mouth.(FR)
22 Strength(FS) resides in its neck;
    dismay goes before it.
23 The folds of its flesh are tightly joined;
    they are firm and immovable.
24 Its chest is hard as rock,
    hard as a lower millstone.(FT)
25 When it rises up, the mighty are terrified;(FU)
    they retreat before its thrashing.(FV)
26 The sword that reaches it has no effect,
    nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.(FW)
27 Iron it treats like straw(FX)
    and bronze like rotten wood.
28 Arrows do not make it flee;(FY)
    slingstones are like chaff to it.
29 A club seems to it but a piece of straw;(FZ)
    it laughs(GA) at the rattling of the lance.
30 Its undersides are jagged potsherds,
    leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.(GB)
31 It makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron(GC)
    and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.(GD)
32 It leaves a glistening wake behind it;
    one would think the deep had white hair.
33 Nothing on earth is its equal(GE)
    a creature without fear.
34 It looks down on all that are haughty;(GF)
    it is king over all that are proud.(GG)

Job

42 Then Job replied to the Lord:

“I know that you can do all things;(GH)
    no purpose of yours can be thwarted.(GI)
You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’(GJ)
    Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me to know.(GK)

“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.’(GL)
My ears had heard of you(GM)
    but now my eyes have seen you.(GN)
Therefore I despise myself(GO)
    and repent(GP) in dust and ashes.”(GQ)

Epilogue

After the Lord had said these things to Job(GR), he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends,(GS) because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.(GT) So now take seven bulls and seven rams(GU) and go to my servant Job(GV) and sacrifice a burnt offering(GW) for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer(GX) and not deal with you according to your folly.(GY) You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.”(GZ) So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite(HA) did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.(HB)

10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes(HC) and gave him twice as much as he had before.(HD) 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before(HE) came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him,(HF) and each one gave him a piece of silver[k] and a gold ring.

12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.

16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so Job died, an old man and full of years.(HG)

Footnotes

  1. Job 38:7 Hebrew the sons of God
  2. Job 38:31 Septuagint; Hebrew beauty
  3. Job 38:32 Or the morning star in its season
  4. Job 38:32 Or out Leo
  5. Job 38:33 Or their
  6. Job 38:36 That is, wisdom about the flooding of the Nile
  7. Job 38:36 That is, understanding of when to crow; the meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
  8. Job 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-8 is numbered 40:25-32, and 41:9-34 is numbered 41:1-26.
  9. Job 41:13 Septuagint; Hebrew double bridle
  10. Job 41:15 Or Its pride is its
  11. Job 42:11 Hebrew him a kesitah; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value.