Job 40
New King James Version
God’s Power and Wisdom
40 Moreover the Lord (A)answered Job, and said:
2 “Shall (B)the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who (C)rebukes God, let him answer it.”
Job’s Response to God
3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
4 “Behold,(D) I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
(E)I lay my hand over my mouth.
5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”
God’s Challenge to Job
6 (F)Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
8 “Would(I) you indeed [b]annul My judgment?
Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?
9 Have you an arm like God?
Or can you thunder with (J)a voice like His?
10 (K)Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,
And array yourself with glory and beauty.
11 Disperse the rage of your wrath;
Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him.
12 Look on everyone who is (L)proud, and bring him low;
Tread down the wicked in their place.
13 Hide them in the dust together,
Bind their faces in hidden darkness.
14 Then I will also confess to you
That your own right hand can save you.
15 “Look now at the [c]behemoth, which I made along with you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16 See now, his strength is in his hips,
And his power is in his stomach muscles.
17 He moves his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
18 His bones are like beams of bronze,
His ribs like bars of iron.
19 He is the first of the (M)ways of God;
Only He who made him can bring near His sword.
20 Surely the mountains (N)yield food for him,
And all the beasts of the field play there.
21 He lies under the lotus trees,
In a covert of reeds and marsh.
22 The lotus trees cover him with their shade;
The willows by the brook surround him.
23 Indeed the river may rage,
Yet he is not disturbed;
He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
24 Though he takes it in his eyes,
Or one pierces his nose with a snare.
Job 40
International Children’s Bible
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?
Footnotes
- 40:15 Behemoth A large land animal, exact identity unknown.
Job 40
English Standard Version
40 And the Lord (A)said to Job:
2 “Shall a faultfinder (B)contend with the Almighty?
He who argues with God, let him answer it.”
Job Promises Silence
3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
4 “Behold, I am (C)of small account; what shall I answer you?
(D)I lay my hand on my mouth.
5 I have spoken (E)once, and I will not answer;
(F)twice, but I will proceed no further.”
The Lord Challenges Job
6 Then the Lord (G)answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
7 (H)“Dress for action[a] like a man;
(I)I will question you, and you make it known to me.
8 Will you even put me in the wrong?
Will you condemn me that (J)you may be in the right?
9 Have you (K)an arm like God,
and can you thunder with (L)a voice like his?
10 “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;
(M)clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
11 Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
and look on everyone who is (N)proud and abase him.
12 Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low
and (O)tread down the wicked (P)where they stand.
13 (Q)Hide them all in (R)the dust together;
bind their faces in the world below.[b]
14 Then will I also acknowledge to you
that your own (S)right hand can save you.
15 “Behold, Behemoth,[c]
which I made as I made you;
he eats (T)grass like an ox.
16 Behold, his strength in his loins,
and his power in the muscles of his belly.
17 He makes his tail stiff like a cedar;
the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
18 His bones are tubes of bronze,
his limbs like bars of iron.
19 “He is (U)the first of (V)the works[d] of God;
let him who made him bring near his sword!
20 For the mountains yield food for him
where all the wild beasts play.
21 Under the lotus plants he lies,
in the shelter of (W)the reeds and in the marsh.
22 For his shade the lotus trees cover him;
the willows of the brook surround him.
23 Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened;
he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.
24 Can one take him by his eyes,[e]
or pierce his nose with a snare?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
