Online Bible

God Speaks Now to Job

Then the LORD ^aanswered Job out of the whirlwind and said,

2 “Who is this that ^adarkens counsel questioning my authority and wisdomBy words without knowledge? Job 35:163 “^aNow ¹gird up your loins like a man,And ^bI will ask you, and you instruct Me!4 “Where were you ^awhen I laid the foundation of the earth?Tell Me, if you know and have understanding.5 “Who determined the ^ameasurements of the earth, if you know?Or who stretched the measuring line on it?6 “On what ^awere its foundations fastened?Or who laid its cornerstone,7 When the morning stars sang togetherAnd all the ^asons of God (angels) shouted for joy?

8 “Or who ^aenclosed the sea with doorsWhen it burst forth and went out of the womb;9 When I made the clouds its garmentAnd thick darkness its swaddling band,10 And ^amarked for it My appointed boundaryAnd set bars and doors defining the shorelines, Jer 5:2211 And said, ‘This far you shall come, but no farther;And here your proud waves shall stop’? Ps 89:9; 93:4

God’s Mighty Power

12 “Since your days began, have you ever commanded the morning,And caused the dawn to know its place,13 So that light may take hold of ^athe corners of the earthAnd shake ^bthe wickedness out of it?14 “The earth is changed like clay into which a seal is pressed;And the things of the earth stand out like a multi-colored garment.15 “^aTheir light is withheld from the wicked,And the ^buplifted arm is broken.

16 “Have you entered and explored ^athe springs of the seaOr have you walked in the recesses of the deep?17 “Have the gates of death been revealed to you,Or have you seen the gates of ^adeep darkness?18 “Have you understood the expanse of ^athe earth?Tell Me, if you know all this.

19 “Where is the ¹way where light dwells?And as for darkness, where is its place,20 That you may take it to ^aits territoryAnd that you may know the paths to its house?21 “You must know, since ^ayou were born then,And ¹because you are so extremely old!22 “Have you entered the storehouses ^aof the snow,Or have you seen the storehouses of the ^bhail,23 Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,For the day of battle and war? Ex 9:18; Josh 10:11; Is 30:30; Rev 16:2124 “Where is the way that ^athe light is distributed,Or the east wind scattered over the earth?

25 “Who has prepared a channel for the torrents of rain and for the flood,Or a path for the thunderbolt,26 To bring ^arain on the uninhabited land,And on the desert where no man lives,27 To ^asatisfy the barren and desolate groundAnd to make the seeds of grass to sprout?28 “Has ^athe rain a father?Or who has begotten the drops of dew?29 “Out of whose womb has come the ^aice?And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?30 “Water becomes like stone and hides itself,And the surface of the deep is frozen and imprisoned.

31 “Can you bind the chains of the cluster of stars called ^aPleiades,Or loose the cords of the constellation Orion?32 “Can you lead forth a ¹constellation in its season,And guide the stars of the Bear with her ²sons?33 “Do you know the ^aordinances of the heavens,Or can you establish their rule over the earth?

34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,So that an ^aabundance of water will cover you?35 “Can you ^asend forth lightnings that they may goAnd say to you, ‘Here we are’?36 “Who has ^aput wisdom in the innermost being of man, or in the layers of cloudsOr given ^bunderstanding to the mind of man, or to the heavenly display?37 “Who can count the clouds by earthly wisdom,Or ^apour out the water jars of the heavens,38 When the dust hardens into a massAnd the clods stick together because of the heat?

39 “Can you Job hunt the ^aprey for the lion,Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions40 When they ^acrouch in their densAnd lie in wait in their lair?41 “Who provides prey for ^athe ravenWhen its young cry to GodAnd wander about without food?

God Speaks Now to Job

Then the LORD ^aanswered Job out of the whirlwind and said,

2 “Who is this that ^adarkens counselBy words without knowledge?3 “Now ^agird up your loins like a man,And ^bI will ask you, and you instruct Me!4 “Where were you ^awhen I laid the foundation of the earth?Tell Me, if you ¹have understanding,5 Who set its ^ameasurements? Since you know.Or who stretched the line on it?6 “On what ^awere its bases sunk?Or who laid its cornerstone,7 When the morning stars sang togetherAnd all the ^asons of God shouted for joy?

8 “Or who ^aenclosed the sea with doorsWhen, bursting forth, it went out from the womb;9 When I made a cloud its garmentAnd thick darkness its swaddling band,10 And I ¹^aplaced boundaries on itAnd set a bolt and doors,11 And I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther;And here shall your proud waves stop’?

God’s Mighty Power

12 “Have you ¹ever in your life commanded the morning,And caused the dawn to know its place,13 That it might take hold of ^athe ends of the earth,And ^bthe wicked be shaken out of it?14 “It is changed like clay under the seal;And they stand forth like a garment.15 “^aFrom the wicked their light is withheld,And the ^buplifted arm is broken.

16 “Have you entered into ^athe springs of the seaOr walked ¹in the recesses of the deep?17 “Have the gates of death been revealed to you,Or have you seen the gates of ^adeep darkness?18 “Have you understood the ¹expanse of ^athe earth?Tell Me, if you know all this.

19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light?And darkness, where is its place,20 That you may take it to ^aits territoryAnd that you may discern the paths to its ¹home?21 “You know, for ^ayou were born then,And the number of your days is great!22 “Have you entered the storehouses ^aof the snow,Or have you seen the storehouses of the ^bhail,23 Which I have reserved for the time of distress,For the day of war and battle?24 “Where is the way that ^athe light is divided,Or the east wind scattered on the earth?

25 “Who has cleft a channel for the flood,Or a way for the thunderbolt,26 To bring ^arain on a land without ¹people,On a desert without a man in it,27 To ^asatisfy the waste and desolate landAnd to make the ¹seeds of grass to sprout?28 “Has ^athe rain a father?Or who has begotten the drops of dew?29 “From whose womb has come the ^aice?And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?30 “Water ¹becomes hard like stone,And the surface of the deep is imprisoned.

31 “Can you bind the chains of the ^aPleiades,Or loose the cords of Orion?32 “Can you lead forth a ¹constellation in its season,And guide the Bear with her ²satellites?33 “Do you know the ^aordinances of the heavens,Or fix their rule over the earth?

34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,So that an ^aabundance of water will cover you?35 “Can you ^asend forth lightnings that they may goAnd say to you, ‘Here we are’?36 “Who has ^aput wisdom in the innermost beingOr given ^bunderstanding to the ¹mind?37 “Who can count the clouds by wisdom,Or ^atip the water jars of the heavens,38 When the dust hardens into a massAnd the clods stick together?

39 “Can you hunt the ^aprey for the lion,Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,40 When they ^acrouch in their densAnd lie in wait in their lair?41 “Who prepares for ^athe raven its nourishmentWhen its young cry to GodAnd wander about without food?