² It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
    to search out a matter is the glory of kings.^(A)

⁷ “Can you fathom^(A) the mysteries of God?
    Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
⁸ They are higher^(B) than the heavens^(C) above—what can you do?
    They are deeper than the depths below^(D)—what can you know?^(E)

³ You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’^(A)
    Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me to know.^(B)

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?^(A)
    Tell me, if you understand.^(B)
5 Who marked off its dimensions?^(C) Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line^(D) across it?
⁶ On what were its footings set,^(E)
    or who laid its cornerstone^(F)—
⁷ while the morning stars^(G) sang together^(H)
    and all the angels^[a](I) shouted for joy?^(J)

⁸ “Who shut up the sea behind doors^(K)
    when it burst forth from the womb,^(L)
9 when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,^(M)
10 when I fixed limits for it^(N)
    and set its doors and bars in place,^(O)
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;^(P)
    here is where your proud waves halt’?^(Q)

¹² “Have you ever given orders to the morning,^(R)
    or shown the dawn its place,^(S)
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
    and shake the wicked^(T) out of it?^(U)
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;^(V)
    its features stand out like those of a garment.
¹⁵ The wicked are denied their light,^(W)
    and their upraised arm is broken.^(X)

¹⁶ “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?^(Y)
17 Have the gates of death^(Z) been shown to you?
    Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?^(AA)
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?^(AB)
    Tell me, if you know all this.^(AC)

¹⁹ “What is the way to the abode of light?
    And where does darkness reside?^(AD)
20 Can you take them to their places?
    Do you know the paths^(AE) to their dwellings?
²¹ Surely you know, for you were already born!^(AF)
    You have lived so many years!

²² “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow^(AG)
    or seen the storehouses^(AH) of the hail,^(AI)
23 which I reserve for times of trouble,^(AJ)
    for days of war and battle?^(AK)
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,^(AL)
    or the place where the east winds^(AM) are scattered over the earth?^(AN)
25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
    and a path for the thunderstorm,^(AO)
26 to water^(AP) a land where no one lives,
    an uninhabited desert,^(AQ)
27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
    and make it sprout with grass?^(AR)
28 Does the rain have a father?^(AS)
    Who fathers the drops of dew?
²⁹ From whose womb comes the ice?
    Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens^(AT)
30 when the waters become hard as stone,
    when the surface of the deep is frozen?^(AU)

³¹ “Can you bind the chains^[b] of the Pleiades?
    Can you loosen Orion’s belt?^(AV)
32 Can you bring forth the constellations^(AW) in their seasons^[c]
    or lead out the Bear^[d] with its cubs?^(AX)
33 Do you know the laws^(AY) of the heavens?^(AZ)
    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?^(BA)
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?^(BB)
    Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
³⁶ Who gives the ibis wisdom^[f](BC)
    or gives the rooster understanding?^[g](BD)
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
    Who can tip over the water jars^(BE) of the heavens^(BF)
38 when the dust becomes hard^(BG)
    and the clods of earth stick together?^(BH)

³⁹ “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
    and satisfy the hunger of the lions^(BI)
40 when they crouch in their dens^(BJ)
    or lie in wait in a thicket?^(BK)
41 Who provides food^(BL) for the raven^(BM)
    when its young cry out to God
    and wander about for lack of food?^(BN)

39 “Do you know when the mountain goats^(BO) give birth?
    Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?^(BP)
2 Do you count the months till they bear?
    Do you know the time they give birth?^(BQ)
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^(BR) go free?
    Who untied its ropes?
⁶ I gave it the wasteland^(BS) as its home,
    the salt flats^(BT) as its habitat.^(BU)
7 It laughs^(BV) at the commotion in the town;
    it does not hear a driver’s shout.^(BW)
8 It ranges the hills^(BX) for its pasture
    and searches for any green thing.

⁹ “Will the wild ox^(BY) consent to serve you?^(BZ)
    Will it stay by your manger^(CA) at night?
¹⁰ Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness?^(CB)
    Will it till the valleys behind you?
¹¹ Will you rely on it for its great strength?^(CC)
    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.^(CD)
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.^(CE)
16 She treats her young harshly,^(CF) 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.^(CG)
18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
    she laughs^(CH) at horse and rider.

¹⁹ “Do you give the horse its strength^(CI)
    or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
²⁰ Do you make it leap like a locust,^(CJ)
    striking terror^(CK) with its proud snorting?^(CL)
21 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,^(CM)
    and charges into the fray.^(CN)
22 It laughs^(CO) at fear, afraid of nothing;
    it does not shy away from the sword.
²³ The quiver^(CP) rattles against its side,
    along with the flashing spear^(CQ) and lance.
²⁴ In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground;
    it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.^(CR)
25 At the blast of the trumpet^(CS) it snorts, ‘Aha!’
    It catches the scent of battle from afar,
    the shout of commanders and the battle cry.^(CT)

²⁶ “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
    and spread its wings toward the south?^(CU)
27 Does the eagle soar at your command
    and build its nest on high?^(CV)
28 It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;
    a rocky crag^(CW) is its stronghold.
²⁹ From there it looks for food;^(CX)
    its eyes detect it from afar.
³⁰ Its young ones feast on blood,
    and where the slain are, there it is.”^(CY)

¹⁶ I was a father to the needy;^(A)
    I took up the case^(B) of the stranger.^(C)