God’s Power and Wisdom

40 Moreover the Lord (A)answered Job, and said:

“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

Then Job answered the Lord and said:

“Behold,(D) I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
(E)I lay my hand over my mouth.
Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”

God’s Challenge to Job

(F)Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:

“Now(G) [a]prepare yourself like a man;
(H)I will question you, and you shall answer Me:

“Would(I) you indeed [b]annul My judgment?
Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?
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.

Footnotes

  1. Job 40:7 Lit. gird up your loins
  2. Job 40:8 nullify
  3. Job 40:15 A large animal, exact identity unknown

40 The Lord said to Job:(A)

“Will the one who contends with the Almighty(B) correct him?(C)
    Let him who accuses God answer him!”(D)

Then Job answered the Lord:

“I am unworthy(E)—how can I reply to you?
    I put my hand over my mouth.(F)
I spoke once, but I have no answer(G)
    twice, but I will say no more.”(H)

Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:(I)

“Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.(J)

“Would you discredit my justice?(K)
    Would you condemn me to justify yourself?(L)
Do you have an arm like God’s,(M)
    and can your voice(N) thunder like his?(O)
10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
    and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.(P)
11 Unleash the fury of your wrath,(Q)
    look at all who are proud and bring them low,(R)
12 look at all who are proud(S) and humble them,(T)
    crush(U) the wicked where they stand.
13 Bury them all in the dust together;(V)
    shroud their faces in the grave.(W)
14 Then I myself will admit to you
    that your own right hand can save you.(X)

15 “Look at Behemoth,
    which I made(Y) along with you
    and which feeds on grass like an ox.(Z)
16 What strength(AA) it has in its loins,
    what power in the muscles of its belly!(AB)
17 Its tail sways like a cedar;
    the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.(AC)
18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,
    its limbs(AD) like rods of iron.(AE)
19 It ranks first among the works of God,(AF)
    yet its Maker(AG) can approach it with his sword.(AH)
20 The hills bring it their produce,(AI)
    and all the wild animals play(AJ) nearby.(AK)
21 Under the lotus plants it lies,
    hidden among the reeds(AL) in the marsh.(AM)
22 The lotuses conceal it in their shadow;
    the poplars by the stream(AN) surround it.
23 A raging river(AO) does not alarm it;
    it is secure, though the Jordan(AP) should surge against its mouth.
24 Can anyone capture it by the eyes,
    or trap it and pierce its nose?(AQ)

40 Moreover Hashem answered Iyov, and said,

Shall he that contendeth with Shaddai correct him? The mokhiach Eloah (rebuker of G-d), let him answer it.

Then Iyov answered Hashem, and said,

See, I am vile; what shall I answer Thee? I will lay mine yad upon my mouth.

Once have I spoken, but I will not answer; yea, shtayim (twice), but I will proceed no further.

Then answered Hashem unto Iyov out of the whirlwind, and said,

Gird up thy loins now like a gever. I will question thee, and thou shall answer Me.

Wilt thou also annul My mishpat (justice)? Wilt thou condemn Me, that thou mayest be justified?

Hast thou a zero’a like El? Or canst thou thunder with a kol (voice) like Him?

10 Adorn thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with hod (glory) and hadar (splendor).

11 Unleash thy evrot af (furious wrath); and behold every one that is proud, and bring him low.

12 Look on every one that is proud, and humble him, and tread down the resha’im in their place.

13 Bury them in the aphar together; shroud their faces in the crypt.

14 Then odecha (will I confess, admit unto thee) that thine own right hand can save thee.

15 Hinei now behemot (hippopotamus), which I made along with thee; he eateth grass like an ox.

16 Hinei now, his koach is in his loins, and his force is in the sinews of his beten (belly).

17 He moveth his zanav (tail) like a cedar branch; the sinews of his thighs are firmly interwoven.

18 His atzmot are like tubes of nechoshet; his limbs are like rods of barzel (iron).

19 He is the reshit (firstling) of the ways of El; He, his Maker, can approach it with His cherev.

20 Surely the harim bring forth food for him, where all the wild beasts play.

21 He lieth under the shade of lotus plants, beseter (in the covert) of the reed and marsh.

22 The lotus plants cover him with their shadow; the willows by the nakhal (brook, stream) surround him.

23 See, when the nahar (river) rages, he is not alarmed; he is confident, though Yarden breaketh forth upon his mouth.

24 While he is looking can one capture him? With mokeshim (hooks) can one pierce his nose?