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Job 38-41
International Children’s Bible
Job 38-41
International Children’s Bible
The Lord Questions Job
38 Then the Lord answered Job from the storm. He said:
2 “Who is this that makes my purpose unclear
by saying things that are not true?
3 Be strong like a man.
I will ask you questions,
and you must answer me.
4 Where were you when I made the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off how big it should be?
Surely you know!
6 What were the earth’s foundations set on?
Or who put its cornerstone in place?
7 Who did all this while the morning stars sang together?
Who did this while the angels shouted with joy?
8 “Who shut the doors to keep the sea in
when it broke through and was born?
9 This was when I made the clouds like a coat for the sea.
And I wrapped the sea in dark clouds.
10 It was when I put limits on the sea.
And I put its doors and bars in place.
11 It was 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 given orders for morning to begin?
Or have you shown the dawn where its place was?
13 The dawn takes hold of earth by its edges
and shakes evil people out of it.
14 At dawn the earth changes like clay being pressed by a seal.
The hills and valleys stand out like folds in a coat.
15 Light is not given to evil people.
Their arm is raised to do harm, but it is broken.
16 “Have you ever gone to where the sea begins?
Or have you walked in the valleys under the sea?
17 Have the gates of death been opened to you?
Or have you seen the gates of the deep darkness?
18 Do you understand the great width of the earth?
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 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 where snow is kept?
Or have you seen the storehouses for hail?
23 I save the snow and hail for times of trouble.
I save them for days of war and battle.
24 How do you get to the place where light comes from?
Or where is the place from which the east winds are scattered over the earth?
25 Who cuts a waterway for the heavy rains?
And who sets a path for the thunderstorm to follow?
26 Who waters the land where no one lives?
Who waters the desert that has no one in it?
27 Who sends rain to satisfy the empty land
so the grass begins to grow?
28 Does the rain have a father?
Who is father to the drops of dew?
29 Who is the mother of the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the sky?
30 The waters become hard as stone.
Even the surface of the deep ocean is frozen.
31 “Can you tie up the stars of the Pleiades?
Can you loosen the ropes of the stars in Orion?
32 Can you bring out the stars at the right times?
Or can you lead out the stars of the Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know the laws of the sky?
Can you understand their rule over the earth?
34 “Can you shout an order to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water?
35 Can you send lightning bolts on their way?
Do the flashes of lightning report to you and say, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who put wisdom inside the mind?
Or who put understanding in the heart?
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Who can pour water from the jars of heaven?
38 Who can do this when the dust becomes hard
and the clumps of dirt stick together?
39 “Do you hunt food for the female lion
to satisfy the hunger of the young lions?
40 Do you hunt for them while they lie in their dens
or hide in the bushes waiting to attack?
41 Who gives food to the birds
when their young cry out to God?
And who gives them food when they wander about without any?
39 “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you watch when the deer gives birth to her fawn?
2 Do you count the months until they give birth?
Do you know when the time is right for them to give birth?
3 They lie down, and their young are born.
Then the pain of giving birth is over.
4 Their young ones grow and become strong in the wild country.
Then they leave their homes and do not come back.
5 “Who let the wild donkey go free?
Who untied his ropes?
6 I am the one who gave the donkey the desert as his home.
I gave him the desert lands as a place to live.
7 The wild donkey laughs at the confusion in the city.
He does not hear the drivers shout.
8 He roams the hills looking for pasture.
And he looks for anything green to eat.
9 “Will the wild ox agree to serve you?
Will he stay by your feeding box at night?
10 Can you hold him to the plowed row with a harness?
Will he plow the valleys for you?
11 Will you depend on the wild ox for his great strength?
Will you leave your heavy work for him to do?
12 Can you trust the ox to bring in your grain?
Will he gather it to your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich flap happily.
But the ostrich’s wings are not as beautiful as the feathers of the stork.
14 The ostrich lays her eggs on the ground
and lets them warm in the sand.
15 She does not stop to think that a foot might step on them and crush them.
She does not care that some animal might walk on them.
16 The ostrich is cruel to her young, as if they were not even hers.
She does not care that her work is for nothing.
17 This is because God did not give the ostrich wisdom.
God did not give her a share of good sense.
18 But when the ostrich gets up to run, she is so fast
that she laughs at the horse and its rider.
19 “Job, are you the one who gives the horse his strength?
Or do you put a flowing mane on his neck?
20 Do you make the horse jump like a locust?
He scares people with his proud snorting.
21 He paws wildly, enjoying his strength.
And he charges into the battle.
22 He laughs at fear and is afraid of nothing.
He will not run away from the sword.
23 The bag of arrows rattles against the horse’s side.
It is there with the flashing spears.
24 With great excitement, the horse races over the ground.
He cannot stand still when he hears the trumpet.
25 When the trumpet blows, the horse snorts, ‘Aha!’
He smells the battle from far away.
He hears the thunder of commanders and the shouts of battle.
26 “Is it through your wisdom that the hawk flies?
Is this why he spreads his wings toward the south?
27 Are you the one that commands the eagle to fly
and build his nest so high?
28 The eagle lives on a high cliff and stays there at night.
The rocky peak is his protected place.
29 From there he looks for his food.
His eyes can see it from far away.
30 His young eat blood.
And where there is something dead, the eagle is there.”
40 The Lord said to Job:
2 “Will the person who argues with God All-Powerful correct him?
Let the person who accuses God answer him!”
3 Then Job answered the Lord:
4 “I am not worthy. I cannot answer you anything.
I will put my hand over my mouth.
5 I spoke one time, but I will not answer again.
I even spoke two times, but I will say nothing more.”
6 Then the Lord spoke to Job from the storm:
7 “Be strong, like a man.
I will ask you questions.
And you must answer me.
8 Would you say that I am unfair?
Would you blame me to make yourself look right?
9 Are you as strong as God?
And can your voice thunder like his?
10 If so, then decorate yourself with glory and beauty.
And put on honor and greatness as if they were clothing.
11 Let your great anger punish.
Look at everyone who is proud and make him feel unimportant.
12 Look at everyone who is proud and bring him under your control.
Crush the wicked wherever they are.
13 Bury them all in the dirt together.
Cover their faces in the grave.
14 If you can do that, then I myself will praise you
because you are strong enough to save yourself.
15 “Look at Behemoth.[a]
I made him just as I made you.
He eats grass like an ox.
16 Look at the strength he has in his body.
The muscles of his stomach are powerful!
17 His tail extends like a cedar tree.
The muscles of his thighs are woven together.
18 His bones are like tubes of bronze metal.
His legs are like bars of iron.
19 He is one of the first of God’s works.
But God, his Maker, can destroy him.
20 The hills, where the wild animals play,
provide food for him.
21 He lies under the lotus plants
hidden by the tall grass in the swamp.
22 The lotus plants hide him in their shadow.
The poplar trees by the streams surround him.
23 If the river floods, he will not be afraid.
He is not afraid even if the Jordan River rushes to his mouth.
24 Can anyone blind his eyes and capture him?
Can anyone put hooks in his nose?
41 “Can you catch Leviathan[b] on a fishhook?
Or can you tie his tongue down with a rope?
2 Can you put a cord through his nose
or put a hook in his jaw?
3 Will he keep begging you for mercy?
Will he speak to you with gentle words?
4 Will he make an agreement with you?
Will he let you take him as your slave for life?
5 Can you make a pet of Leviathan as you would a bird?
Or can you put him on a leash for your girls?
6 Will traders try to bargain with you for him?
Will they divide him up among the traders?
7 Can you stick him with darts until his skin is full of them?
Or can you fill his head with fishing spears?
8 If you put one hand on him,
you will never forget the battle.
And you will never do it again!
9 There is no hope of defeating him.
Just seeing him overwhelms people.
10 No one is brave enough to make him angry.
So who would be able to stand up against me?
11 No one has ever given me anything that I must pay back.
Everything under heaven belongs to me.
12 “I can silence his bragging.
I can silence his brave words and powerful arguments.
13 No one can tear off his outer hide.
No one can poke through his double armor.
14 No one can force open his great jaws.
There are frightening teeth all around his jaws.
15 He has rows of shields on his back.
They are tightly sealed together.
16 Each shield is so close to the next one
that no air can go between them.
17 They are joined strongly to one another.
They hold on to each other and cannot be broken apart.
18 When he snorts, flashes of light are thrown out.
His eyes look like the light at dawn.
19 Flames blaze from his mouth.
Sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke pours out of his nose
as if coming from a large pot over a hot fire.
21 His breath sets coals on fire.
And flames come out of his mouth.
22 There is great strength in his neck.
People are afraid and run away from him.
23 The folds of his skin are tightly joined.
They are set and cannot be moved.
24 His chest is as hard as a rock.
It is as hard as a stone used to grind grain.
25 Powerful creatures fear his terrible looks.
They draw back in fear as he moves.
26 The sword that hits him does not hurt him.
The darts and spears, small and large, do not hurt him.
27 He treats iron as if it were straw.
And he treats bronze metal as if it were rotten wood.
28 He does not run away from arrows.
Stones from slings are like chaff to him.
29 Clubs feel like pieces of straw to him.
And he laughs when they shake a spear at him.
30 The underside of his body is like broken pieces of pottery.
It leaves a trail in the mud like a threshing board.
31 He makes the deep sea bubble like a boiling pot.
And he stirs up the sea like a pot of oil.
32 When he swims, he leaves a shining path in the water.
It makes the sea look as if it had white hair.
33 Nothing else on earth is equal to him.
He is a creature without fear.
34 He looks down on all those who are too proud.
He is king over all proud creatures.”
Job 38-41
New International Version
Job 38-41
New International Version
The Lord Speaks
38 Then the Lord spoke to Job(A) out of the storm.(B) He said:
2 “Who is this that obscures my plans(C)
with words without knowledge?(D)
3 Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.(E)
4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?(F)
Tell me, if you understand.(G)
5 Who marked off its dimensions?(H) Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line(I) across it?
6 On what were its footings set,(J)
or who laid its cornerstone(K)—
7 while the morning stars(L) sang together(M)
and all the angels[a](N) shouted for joy?(O)
8 “Who shut up the sea behind doors(P)
when it burst forth from the womb,(Q)
9 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)
2 Do you count the months till they bear?
Do you know the time they give birth?(BV)
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(BW) go free?
Who untied its ropes?
6 I gave it the wasteland(BX) as its home,
the salt flats(BY) as its habitat.(BZ)
7 It laughs(CA) at the commotion in the town;
it does not hear a driver’s shout.(CB)
8 It ranges the hills(CC) for its pasture
and searches for any green thing.
9 “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)
2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty(DF) correct him?(DG)
Let him who accuses God answer him!”(DH)
3 Then Job answered the Lord:
4 “I am unworthy(DI)—how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth.(DJ)
5 I spoke once, but I have no answer(DK)—
twice, but I will say no more.”(DL)
6 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:(DM)
7 “Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.(DN)
8 “Would you discredit my justice?(DO)
Would you condemn me to justify yourself?(DP)
9 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?
2 Can you put a cord through its nose(EX)
or pierce its jaw with a hook?(EY)
3 Will it keep begging you for mercy?(EZ)
Will it speak to you with gentle words?
4 Will it make an agreement with you
for you to take it as your slave for life?(FA)
5 Can you make a pet of it like a bird
or put it on a leash for the young women in your house?
6 Will traders barter for it?
Will they divide it up among the merchants?
7 Can you fill its hide with harpoons
or its head with fishing spears?(FB)
8 If you lay a hand on it,
you will remember the struggle and never do it again!(FC)
9 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)”
Footnotes
- 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 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-8 is numbered 40:25-32, and 41:9-34 is numbered 41:1-26.
- Job 41:13 Septuagint; Hebrew double bridle
- Job 41:15 Or Its pride is its
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