Beginning
38 1 God speaketh to Job, and declareth the weakness of man in the consideration of his creatures, by whose excellency the power, justice, and providence of the Creator is known.
1 Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the [a]whirlwind, and said,
2 Who is this that [b]darkeneth the counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man: I [c]will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
4 Where wast thou when I [d]laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest, or who hath stretched the line over it:
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof set: or who laid the cornerstone thereof:
7 When the stars of the morning [e]praised me together, and all the [f]children of God rejoiced:
8 Or who hath shut up the Sea with doors, when it issued and came forth as out of the womb:
9 When I made the clouds as a covering thereof, and darkness as the [g]swaddling bands thereof:
10 When I establisheth my commandment upon it, and set bars and doors,
11 And said, hitherto shalt thou come, but no further, and here shall it [h]stay thy proud waves.
12 Hast thou commanded the [i]morning since thy days? hast thou caused the morning to know his place?
13 That it might take hold of the corners of the earth, and that the wicked might be [j]shaken out of it?
14 It is turned as clay to fashion, [k]and all stand up as a garment.
15 And from the wicked their light shall be taken away, and the high arm shall be broken.
16 Hast thou entered into the bottoms of the sea? or hast thou walked to seek out the [l]depth?
17 Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?
18 Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? tell if thou knowest all this.
19 Where is the way where light dwelleth? and where is the place of darkness,
20 That thou [m]shouldest receive it in the bounds thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?
21 Knewest thou it, because thou wast then born? and because the number of thy days is great?
22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
23 Which I have hid [n]against the time of trouble, against the day of war and battle?
24 By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the East wind upon the earth?
25 Who hath 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 fulfill 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 hath begotten the drops of the dew?
29 Out of whose womb came the ice? who hath engendered the frost of the heaven?
30 The waters are hid [o]as with a stone: and the face of the depth is frozen.
31 Canst thou restrain the sweet influences of [p]the Pleiades, or loose the bands of [q]Orion?
32 Canst thou bring forth [r]Mazzaroth in their time? canst thou also guide [s]Arcturus with his sons?
33 Knowest thou the course of heaven, or canst thou set the [t]rule thereof in the earth?
34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that the abundance of water may cover thee?
35 Canst thou send the lightnings that they may walk, and say unto thee, Lo, here we are?
36 Who hath put wisdom in the [u]reins? or who hath given the heart understanding?
37 Who can number clouds by wisdom? or who can cause to cease the [v]bottles of heaven,
38 When the earth groweth into hardness, [w]and the clots are fast together?
39 The bounty and providence of God, which extendeth even to the young ravens, giveth man full occasion to put his confidence in God. 37 Job confesseth and humbleth himself.
1 Wilt [x]thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the lion’s whelps,
2 When they crouch in their places, and remain in the covert to lie in wait?
3 Who prepareth for the raven his meat, when his birds [y]cry unto God, wandering for lack of meat?
4 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats bring forth young? or dost thou mark when the [z]hinds do calve?
5 Canst thou number the months that they [aa]fulfill? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
6 They bow themselves: they [ab]bruise their young and cast out their sorrows.
7 Yet their young wax fat, and grow up with corn: they go forth and return not unto them.
8 Who hath set the wild ass at liberty? or who hath loosed the bonds of the wild ass?
9 It is I which have made the wilderness his house, and the [ac]salt places his dwellings.
10 He derideth the multitude of the city: he heareth not the cry of the driver.
11 He seeketh out the mountain for his pasture, and searcheth after every green thing.
12 Will the unicorn [ad]serve thee? or will he tarry by thy crib?
13 Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band to labor in the furrow? or will he plow the valleys after thee?
14 Wilt thou trust in him, because his strength is great, and cast off thy labor unto him?
15 Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it unto thy barn?
16 Hast thou given the pleasant wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?
17 Which leaveth his eggs in the earth, and maketh them [ae]hot in the dust,
18 And forgetteth that the foot might scatter them, or that the wild beast might break them.
19 He showeth himself cruel unto his young ones, as they were not his, and is without fear, as if he travailed [af]in vain.
20 For God had deprived him of [ag]wisdom, and hath given him no part of understanding.
21 When [ah]time is, he mounteth on high: he mocketh the horse and his rider.
22 Hast thou given the horse strength, or covered his neck with [ai]neighing?
23 Hast thou made him afraid as the grasshopper? his strong neighing is fearful.
24 He [aj]diggeth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth forth to meet the harnessed man.
25 He mocketh at fear, and is not afraid, and turneth not back from the sword,
26 Though the quiver rattle against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
27 He [ak]swalloweth the ground for fierceness and rage, and he believeth not that it is the noise of the trumpet.
28 He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha: he smelleth the battle afar off, and the noise of the captains, and the shouting.
29 Shall the hawk fly by thy wisdom, stretching out his wings even toward the [al]South?
30 Doth the eagle mount up at thy commandment, or make his nest on high?
31 She abideth and remaineth in the rock, even upon the top of the rock, and the tower,
32 From thence she spieth for meat, and her eyes behold afar off.
33 His young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.
34 Moreover the Lord spake unto Job, and said,
35 Is this [am]to learn, to strive with the Almighty? he that reproveth God, let him answer to it.
36 ¶ Then Job answered the Lord, saying,
37 Behold, I am [an]vile: what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
38 Once have I spoken, but I will answer no more, yea twice, but I will proceed no further.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.