Job 38
Revised Geneva Translation
38 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2 “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 “Now gird up your loins, like a man. I will demand of you, and you declare to Me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth? Declare, if you have understanding.
5 “Who has laid its measures, if you know. Or who has stretched the line over it.
6 “Upon what are its foundations set. Or who laid its cornerstone
7 “when the stars of the morning praised together, and all the children of God rejoiced?
8 “Or who has shut up the sea with doors, when it issued and came forth as out of the womb,
9 “when I made the clouds as its covering, and darkness as its swaddling bands,
10 “when I established My Commandment upon it, and set bars and doors,
11 “and said, ‘To here shall you come, but no further. And here shall it stop your proud waves’?
12 “Have you ever commanded the morning in all your life? Have you caused the morning to know its place,
13 “so that it might take hold of the corners of the Earth, and so that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14 “It is turned, as clay under a seal. And all stand up as a garment.
15 “And their light shall be withheld from the wicked, and the raised arm shall be broken.
16 “Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked to seek out the depths?
17 “Have the gates of death been opened to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?
18 “Have you perceived the breadth of the Earth? Tell if you know all this.
19 “Where is the way where light dwells? And where is the place of darkness,
20 “so that you should receive it in its bounds, and so that you should know the paths to its house?
21 “Did you know it because you were alive then, and the number of your days is great?
22 “Have you entered into the treasures of the snow? Or have you seen the treasures of the hail
23 “which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of war and battle?
24 “By what way is the light parted which scatters the East wind upon the Earth?
25 “Who has divided the spouts for the rain, or the way for the lightning of the thunders,
26 “to cause it to rain on the Earth where no man is, and in the wilderness where there is no man,
27 “to satisfy the wild and waste place, and to cause the bud of the herb to spring forth?
28 “Who is the father of the rain? Or who has begotten the drops of the dew?
29 “Out of whose womb came the ice? Who has borne the frost of the heaven?
30 “The waters are hidden as a stone, and the face of the depth is frozen.
31 “Can you restrain the sweet influences of the Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
32 “Can you bring forth Mazzaroth in their time? Can you also guide Arcturus with his sons?
33 “Do you know the course of heaven, or can you set its rule on the Earth?
34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that the abundance of water may cover you?
35 “Can you send the lightning so that it may walk, and say to you, ‘Lo, here we are’?
36 “Who has put wisdom in the core? Or who has given the heart understanding?
37 “Who can number clouds by wisdom? Or who can cause the bottles of heaven to cease
38 “when the Earth grows into hardness, and the clots hold together?”
Job 38
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
38 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,
2 Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?(A)
3 Gird up now your loins like a man, and I will demand of you, and you declare to Me.
4 Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Declare to Me, if you have and know understanding.
5 Who determined the measures of the earth, if you know? Or who stretched the measuring line upon it?
6 Upon what were the foundations of it fastened, or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 Or who shut up the sea with doors when it broke forth and issued out of the womb?—
9 When I made the clouds the garment of it, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it,
10 And marked for it My appointed boundary and set bars and doors,(B)
11 And said, Thus far shall you come and no farther; and here shall your proud waves be stayed?(C)
12 Have you commanded the morning since your days began and caused the dawn to know its place,
13 So that [light] may get hold of the corners of the earth and shake the wickedness [of night] out of it?
14 It is changed like clay into which a seal is pressed; and things stand out like a many-colored garment.
15 From the wicked their light is withheld, and their uplifted arm is broken.
16 Have you explored the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the doors of deep darkness?
18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell Me, if you know it all.
19 Where is the [a]way where light dwells? And as for darkness, where is its abode,
20 That you may conduct it to its home, and may know the paths to its house?
21 You must know, since you were born then! Or because you are so extremely old!
22 Have you entered the treasuries of the snow, or have you seen the treasuries of the hail,
23 Which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war?(D)
24 By what way is the light distributed, or the east wind spread over the earth?
25 Who has prepared a channel for the torrents of rain, or a path for the thunderbolt,
26 To cause it to rain on the uninhabited land [and] on the desert where no man lives,
27 To satisfy the waste and desolate ground and to cause the tender grass to spring forth?
28 Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoary frost of heaven, who has given it birth?
30 The waters are congealed like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
31 Can you bind the chains of [the cluster of stars called] Pleiades, or loose the cords of [the constellation] Orion?
32 Can you lead forth the signs of the zodiac in their season? Or can you guide [the stars of] the Bear with her young?
33 Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule upon the earth?
34 Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that an abundance of waters may cover you?
35 Can you send lightnings, that they may go and say to you, Here we are?
36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts [or in the dark clouds]? Or who has given understanding to the mind [or to the meteor]?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the [water] bottles of the heavens
38 When [heat has caused] the dust to run into a mass and the clods to cleave fast together?
39 Can you [Job] hunt the prey for the lion? Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions
40 When they couch in their dens or lie in wait in their hiding place?
41 Who provides for the raven its prey when its young ones cry to God and wander about for lack of food?
Footnotes
- Job 38:19 How, except by divine inspiration, could Job have known that light does not dwell in a place, but a way? For light, as modern man has discovered, involves motion (wave motion). Traveling 186,000 miles a second, it can only dwell in a way.
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