Job 38
New American Standard Bible
God Speaks Now to Job
38 Then the Lord (A)answered Job from the whirlwind and said,
2 “Who is this who (B)darkens the divine plan
By words without knowledge?
3 Now [a](C)tighten the belt on your waist like a man,
And (D)I shall ask you, and you inform Me!
4 Where were you (E)when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you [b]have understanding,
5 Who set its (F)measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the measuring line over it?
6 On what (G)were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together
And all the (H)sons of God shouted for joy?
8 “Or who (I)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 [c](J)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 [d]ever in your life commanded the morning,
And made the dawn know its place,
13 So that it would take hold of (K)the ends of the earth,
And (L)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 (M)Their light is withheld from the wicked,
And the (N)uplifted arm is broken.
16 “Have you entered (O)the springs of the sea,
And walked [e]in the depth of the ocean?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
And have you seen the gates of (P)deep darkness?
18 Have you understood the [f]expanse of (Q)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 (R)its territory,
And discern the paths to its [g]home?
21 You know, for (S)you were born then,
And the number of your days is great!
22 Have you entered the storehouses (T)of the snow,
And have you seen the storehouses of the (U)hail,
23 Which I have reserved for a time of distress,
For a day of war and battle?
24 Where is the way that (V)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 (W)rain on a land without [h]people,
On a desert without a person in it,
27 To (X)satisfy the waste and desolate land,
And to make the [i]seeds of grass to sprout?
28 Does (Y)the rain have a father?
Or who has fathered the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb has come the (Z)ice?
And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?
30 Water [j]becomes hard like stone,
And the surface of the deep is imprisoned.
31 “Can you tie up the chains of the (AA)Pleiades,
Or untie the cords of Orion?
32 Can you bring out a [k]constellation in its season,
And guide the Bear with her [l]satellites?
33 Do you know the (AB)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 (AC)abundance of water will cover you?
35 Can you (AD)send flashes of lightning, so that they may go
And say to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who has (AE)put wisdom in the innermost being,
Or given (AF)understanding to the [m]mind?
37 Who can count the clouds by wisdom,
And (AG)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 (AH)prey for the lioness,
Or satisfy the appetite of young lions,
40 When they (AI)crouch in their hiding places,
And lie in wait in their lair?
41 Who prepares [n]feed for (AJ)the raven
When its young cry to God,
And wander about without food?
Footnotes
- 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
约伯记 38
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
耶和华回答约伯
38 那时，耶和华从旋风中回答约伯说：
2 “是谁用无知的话蒙蔽我的旨意？
3 你要像勇士一样束腰备战，
我来提问，你来回答。
4 “我立大地根基的时候，你在哪里？
你若那么聪明，请告诉我。
5 你可知道谁为大地定的尺寸？
谁用准绳把它丈量？
6 是什么支撑大地的根基？
谁为它安放的基石？
7 当时晨星齐声歌唱，
众天使都发出欢呼。
8 “大海从母胎奔腾而出时，
谁为它划定界限？
9 是我为大海披上云彩，
为它裹上厚厚的幽暗。
10 是我为它划定界限，
并安上门和闩，
11 说，‘你到此为止，不可越界；
你狂傲的波涛要停在这里。’
12 “你生平可曾向晨曦发号施令，
为黎明的曙光指定岗位，
13 使阳光普照大地，
抖出藏匿的恶人？
14 日光使大地改观，如泥上盖印，
万物如衣服般显出颜色。
15 恶人得不到光明，
强横的臂膀必折断。
16 你可曾到过大海的源头，
走过深渊的底部？
17 死亡之门可曾向你显露？
你可曾见过幽冥之门？
18 你知道大地有多广阔吗？
你若知道，就告诉我吧。
19 “哪条路通往光明的居所？
哪里是黑暗的住处？
20 你能把它们带回原处吗？
你认识通往其居所的路吗？
21 你肯定知道，
因为那时你已出生，
你的寿数又很长久！
22 “你曾到过雪库，
或见过雹仓吗？
23 那是我为降灾之时，
为争战之日而预备的。
24 光从哪条路散开？
东风从哪条路吹向大地？
25 谁为豪雨开水道，
为雷电辟路径，
26 使雨水降在杳无人烟之地，
降在无人居住的旷野，
27 以滋润荒凉不毛之地，
使土地长出青草？
28 雨水有父亲吗？
谁生的露珠？
29 冰出自谁的胎？
谁生的天上的霜？
30 水变得坚硬如石，
深渊表面凝结成冰。
31 “你能系住昴星的结，
解开参星的带吗？
32 你能按季节领出星座，
引导北斗及其众星吗？
33 你知道天的定律吗？
你能使地服从天律吗？
34 你能号令云彩，
使倾盆大雨覆盖你吗？
35 你能命闪电发出，
让它听候调遣吗？
36 谁将智慧放在人胸中？
谁使人内心有聪明？
37-38 尘土结成硬团，
土块黏在一起时，
谁能凭智慧数算云彩？
谁能倾倒天上的水囊？
39-40 “狮子卧在洞中，
壮狮埋伏在隐秘处，
你能为它们猎取食物，
使它们饱餐吗？
41 乌鸦的幼雏饿得飞来飞去，
向上帝哀鸣时，
谁供应乌鸦食物？
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