Online Bible

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?

Yahweh Answers Job

Then Yahweh ^aanswered Job out of the ¹whirlwind 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 make Me know!4 “Where were you ^awhen I laid the foundation of the earth?Tell Me, if you know 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 dense gloom 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’?

Yahweh Answers Job, “Have You?”

12 “Have you ¹ever in your life commanded the morning,And caused the dawn to know its place,13 That it might seize ^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 clothing.15 “^aFrom the wicked their light is withheld,And the arm ^braised high 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 the ^ashadow of death?18 “Have you carefully considered the ¹expanse of ^athe earth?Tell Me, if you know all this.

19 “Where is the way to where the light dwells?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 conduit 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 growth 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 ²is interlocked.

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 ^astatutes of the heavens,Or fix their rule over the earth?

34 “Can you raise your voice up 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 ^agiven wisdom in the ¹innermost beingOr given ^bunderstanding to the ²mind?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?

Yahweh Answers Job, “Where Were You?”

39 “Can you hunt the ^aprey for the lion,Or fulfill 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 provisionWhen its young cry for help to GodAnd wander about without food?