Job 38, side by side

¹Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind,

¹Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

²“Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

²Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

³Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you answer me!

³Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

⁴“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding.

⁴Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

⁵Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?

⁵Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

⁶What were its foundations fastened on? Or who laid its cornerstone,

⁶Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

⁷when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁷When 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 out of the womb,

⁸Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

⁹when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness,

⁹When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

¹⁰marked out for it my bound, set bars and doors,

¹⁰And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,

¹¹and said, ‘You may come here, but no further. Your proud waves shall be stopped here?’

¹¹And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

¹²“Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place,

¹²Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

¹³that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and shake the wicked out of it?

¹³That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

¹⁴It is changed as clay under the seal, and presented as a garment.

¹⁴It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.

¹⁵From the wicked, their light is withheld. The high arm is broken.

¹⁵And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.

¹⁶“Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep?

¹⁶Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

¹⁷Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?

¹⁷Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

¹⁸Have you comprehended the earth in its width? Declare, if you know it all.

¹⁸Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.

¹⁹“What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is its place,

¹⁹Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,

²⁰that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house?

²⁰That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

²¹Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!

²¹Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?

²²Have you entered the treasuries of the snow, or have you seen the treasures of the hail,

²²Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

²³which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

²³Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

²⁴By what way is the lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth?

²⁴By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

²⁵Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunder storm,

²⁵Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;

²⁶to cause it to rain on a land where there is no man, on the wilderness, in which there is no man,

²⁶To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

²⁷to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, to cause the tender grass to grow?

²⁷To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

²⁸Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew?

²⁸Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

²⁹Whose womb did the ice come out of? Who has given birth to the gray frost of the sky?

²⁹Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

³⁰The waters become hard like stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen.

³⁰The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

³¹“Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?

³¹Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?

³²Can you lead the constellations out in their season? Or can you guide the Bear with her cubs?

³²Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

³³Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth?

³³Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

³⁴“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover you?

³⁴Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

³⁵Can you send out lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are?’

³⁵Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?

³⁶Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind?

³⁶Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?

³⁷Who can count the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the containers of the sky,

³⁷Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,

³⁸when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods of earth stick together?

³⁸When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

³⁹“Can you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

³⁹Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,

⁴⁰when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket?

⁴⁰When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?

⁴¹Who provides for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food?

⁴¹Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.