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38 Så svarede Herren Job ud fra Stormvejret og sagde: "Hvem fordunkler mit Råd med Ord, som er uden Mening? Omgjord som en Mand dine Lænder, jeg vil spørge, og du skal lære mig! Hvor var du, da jeg grundede Jorden? Sig frem, om du har nogen Indsigt! Hvem bestemte dens Mål - du kender det jo - hvem spændte Målesnor ud derover? Hvorpå blev dens Støtter sænket, hvem lagde dens Hjørnesten, mens Morgenstjernerne jubled til Hobe, og alle Gudssønner råbte af Glæde? Hvem stængte for Havet med Porte, dengang det brusende udgik af Moders Skød, dengang jeg gav det Skyen til Klædning og Tågemulm til Svøb, 10 dengang jeg brød det en Grænse og indsatte Portslå og Døre 11 og sagde: "Hertil og ikke længer! Her standse dine stolte Vover!" 12 Har du nogen Sinde kaldt Morgenen frem, ladet Morgenrøden vide sit Sted, 13 så den greb om Jordens Flige og gudløse rystedes bort, 14 så den dannedes til som Ler under Segl, fik Farve, som var den en Klædning? 15 De gudløses Lys toges fra dem, den løftede Arm blev knust. 16 Har du mon været ved Havets Kilder, har du mon vandret på Dybets Bund? 17 Mon Dødens Porte har vist sig for dig, skued du Mulmets Porte? 18 Så du ud over Jordens Vidder? Sig frem, om du ved, hvor stor den er! 19 Hvor er Vejen til Lysets Bolig, og hvor har Mørket mon hjemme, 20 så du kunde hente det til dets Rige og bringe det hen på Vej til dets Bolig? 21 Du ved det, du blev jo født dengang, dine Dages Tal er jo stort! 22 Har du været, hvor Sneen gemmes, og skuet, hvor Hagelen vogtes, 23 den, jeg gemmer til Trængselens Tid, til Kampens og Krigens Dag? 24 Hvor er Vejen did, hvor Lyset deler sig, hvor Østenvinden spreder sig ud over Jorden? 25 Hvem åbnede Regnen en Rende og Tordenens Lyn en Vej 26 for at væde folketomt Land, Ørkenen, hvor ingen bor, 27 for at kvæge Øde og Ødemark og fremkalde Urter i Ørkenen? 28 Har Regnen mon en Fader, hvem avlede Duggens Dråber? 29 Af hvilket Skød kom Isen vel frem, hvem fødte mon Himlens Rim? 30 Vandet størkner som Sten, Dybets Flade trækker sig sammen. 31 Knytter du Syvstjernens Bånd, kan du løse Orions Lænker? 32 Lader du Aftenstjemen gå op i Tide, leder du Bjørnen med Unger? 33 Kender du Himmelens Love, fastsætter du dens Magt over Jorden? 34 Kan du løfte Røsten til Sky, så Vandskyl adlyder dig? 35 Sender du Lynene ud, så de går, og svarer de dig: "Her er vi!" 36 Hvem lagde Visdom i sorte Skyer, hvem gav Luftsynet Kløgt? 37 Hvem er så viis, at han tæller Skyerne, hvem hælder Himmelens Vandsække om, 38 når Jorden ligger i Ælte, og Leret klumper sig sammen?

The Lord Questions Job

38 Then the Lord answered Job from the ·storm [whirlwind; 9:17]. He said:

“Who is this that makes my ·purpose [L counsel; advice] ·unclear [L dark]
    ·by saying things that are not true [L with ignorant words]?
·Be strong [Brace yourself; L Gird your loins] like a man!
    I will ask you questions,
    and you must ·answer [inform] me.
Where were you when I made the earth’s foundation?
    Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off ·how big it should be [L its measurements]? Surely you know!
    Who stretched a ·ruler [line; C surveyor’s instrument] across it?
What were the earth’s foundations ·set on [L sunk in],
    or who put its cornerstone in place
while the morning stars sang together
    and all the ·angels [L sons of god] shouted with joy?

“Who shut the doors to keep the sea in
    when it broke through ·and was born [L coming out of the womb],
when I made the clouds like a coat for the sea
    and ·wrapped [swaddled] it in dark clouds,
10 when I ·put [prescribed] ·limits [boundaries] on the sea
    and put its doors and bars in place,
11 when I said to the sea, ‘You may come this far, but no farther;
    this is where your proud waves must stop’?

12 “Have you ever ordered the morning to begin,
    or ·shown [informed] the dawn where its place was
13 in order to ·take hold of [grasp] the earth by its edges [C the horizon]
    and shake evil people out of it [C the light exposes the wicked]?
14 At dawn the earth changes like clay being pressed by a seal;
    ·the hills and valleys [L They] stand out like ·folds in a coat [L a garment].
15 Light is ·not given to [held back from] evil people;
    their arm is raised to do harm, but it is broken.

16 “Have you ever gone to ·where the sea begins [L the sources of the sea]
    or walked in the ·valleys under the sea [L depths of the deep]?
17 Have the gates of death been ·opened [or revealed] to you?
    Have you seen the gates of the deep darkness?
18 Do you understand how wide the earth is?
    Tell me, if you know all these things.
19 “What is the path to light’s home,
    and where does darkness live?
20 Can you take them to their places?
    Do you know the ·way [path] to their homes?
21 Surely you know, if you were already born when all this happened!
    Have you lived that many years?

22 “Have you ever gone into the storehouse of the snow
    or seen the storehouses for hail,
23 which I save for times of trouble,
    for days of war and battle?
24 Where is the place from which light ·comes [L is distributed]?
    Where is the place from which the east winds ·blow [scatter] over the earth?
25 Who cuts a waterway for the heavy rains
    and sets a path for the thunderstorm?
26 Who waters the land where no one lives,
    the ·desert [wilderness] that has no one in it?
27 Who sends rain to satisfy the ·empty [L ruined and desolate] land
    so the grass begins to grow?
28 Does the rain have a father?
    Who ·is father [L has given birth] to the drops of dew?
29 ·Who is the mother of the ice [L From whose womb did the ice come out]?
    Who gives birth to the frost from the ·sky [heavens]
30 when the water becomes hard as stone,
    and even the surface of the ·ocean [deep] is frozen?

31 “Can you tie up the ·stars [L chains] of the Pleiades
    or ·loosen [open] the ·ropes of the stars in [L fetters of] Orion?
32 Can you bring out ·the stars [L Mazzeroth; C probably the name of a specific constellation] on time
    or lead out the stars of the Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know the laws of the ·sky [heavens]
    and ·understand [or set] their rule over the earth?

34 “Can you ·shout an order [L raise your voice] to the clouds
    ·and [or so that you] cover yourself with a flood of water?
35 Can you send lightning bolts on their way?
    Do they come to you and say, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who put wisdom ·inside the mind [or in the ibis; C an animal associated with wisdom and representing Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom]
    or understanding ·in the heart [or to the rooster]?
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
    Who can ·pour water from the jars [L tilt the wineskins] of the ·sky [heavens]
38 when the dust becomes hard
    and the clumps of dirt stick together?
39 “Do you hunt food for the lioness
    to satisfy the hunger of the young lions
40 while they ·lie [crouch] in their dens
    or hide in the bushes waiting to attack?
41 Who gives food to the ·birds [L raven]
    when their young cry out to God
and wander about without food?

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)

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.