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“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
    Declare, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measures, if you know?
    Or who stretched the line on it?
What were its foundations fastened on?
    Or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together,
    and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

“Or who shut up the sea with doors,
    when it broke out of the womb,
when I made clouds its garment,
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,
10 marked out for it my bound,
    set bars and doors,
11 and said, ‘You may come here, but no further.
    Your proud waves shall be stopped here’?

12 “Have you commanded the morning in your days,
    and caused the dawn to know its place,
13 that it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
    and shake the wicked out of it?
14 It is changed as clay under the seal,
    and presented as a garment.
15 From the wicked, their light is withheld.
    The high arm is broken.

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“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
    Tell me, if you have understanding.(A)
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
    Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
    or who laid its cornerstone(B)
when the morning stars sang together
    and all the heavenly beings[a] shouted for joy?(C)

“Or who shut in the sea with doors
    when it burst out from the womb,(D)
when I made the clouds its garment
    and thick darkness its swaddling band,(E)
10 and prescribed bounds for it,
    and set bars and doors,(F)
11 and said, ‘Thus far shall you come and no farther,
    and here shall your proud waves be stopped’?(G)

12 “Have you commanded the morning since your days began
    and caused the dawn to know its place,(H)
13 so that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth,
    and the wicked be shaken out of it?(I)
14 It is changed like clay under the seal,
    and it is dyed[b] like a garment.
15 Light is withheld from the wicked,
    and their uplifted arm is broken.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. 38.7 Heb sons of God
  2. 38.14 Cn: Heb and they stand forth