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Yahweh Interrogates Job

“Where were you at my laying the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you possess understanding.
Who determined its measurement? Yes, you do know.
Or who stretched the measuring line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars were singing together
and all the sons of God[a] shouted for joy?
“Or who shut the sea in with doors
at its bursting, when it went out of the womb,
at my making the clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
10 and I prescribed my rule for it,
and I set bars and doors,
11 and I said, ‘You shall come up to here, but[b] you shall not go further,
and here it will set a boundary for your proud surging waves’?[c]
12 “Have you ever in your life[d] commanded the morning?
Have you made the dawn know its place,
13 to take hold of the earth’s skirts
so that[e] the wicked might be shaken off from it?
14 It is changed like clay under a seal,
and they appear like a garment.
15 And their light is withheld from the wicked,
and their uplifted arm is broken.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 38:7 Or “heavenly beings”
  2. Job 38:11 Hebrew “and”
  3. Job 38:11 Literally “for the pride of your surging waves”
  4. Job 38:12 Literally “from your days”
  5. Job 38:13 Hebrew “and”

“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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