1 A nd Jehovah answereth Job out of the whirlwind, and saith: --

Then the Lord answered Job out of the strong wind and said,

2 W ho this -- darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?

“Who is this that makes words of wisdom dark by speaking without much learning?

3 G ird, I pray thee, as a man, thy loins, And I ask thee, and cause thou Me to know.

Now get ready like a man, and I will ask you some questions and you answer Me.

4 W here wast thou when I founded earth? Declare, if thou hast known understanding.

Where were you when I began building the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.

5 W ho placed its measures -- if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched out upon it a line?

Who decided how big it was to be, since you know? Who looked to see if it was as big as it should be?

6 O n what have its sockets been sunk? Or who hath cast its corner-stone?

What was it built upon? Who laid its first stone,

7 I n the singing together of stars of morning, And all sons of God shout for joy,

when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God called out for joy?

8 A nd He shutteth up with doors the sea, In its coming forth, from the womb it goeth out.

“Who shut up the sea with doors, when it rushed out from its secret place?

9 I n My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band,

I made clouds its clothing, and put much darkness around it.

10 A nd I measure over it My statute, And place bar and doors,

I marked the places where it could not pass, and set locks and doors.

11 A nd say, `Hitherto come thou, and add not, And a command is placed On the pride of thy billows.'

And I said, ‘You will come this far, and no farther. Here will your proud waves stop.’

12 H ast thou commanded morning since thy days? Causest thou the dawn to know its place?

“Have you ever in your life told the morning when to come, and caused the first light of day to know its place,

13 T o take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it,

that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and the sinful be shaken out of it?

14 I t turneth itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed.

It is changed like clay when an object is pushed down to mark it, and they stand out like clothing.

15 A nd withheld from the wicked is their light, And the arm lifted up is broken.

The light of the sinful is held back, and the arm lifted up is broken.

16 H ast thou come in to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Hast thou walked up and down?

“Have you gone into the wells of the sea? Have you walked on the bottom of the deep sea?

17 R evealed to thee were the gates of death? And the gates of death-shade dost thou see?

Have the gates of death been shown to you? Or have you seen the gates of the deep darkness?

18 T hou hast understanding, Even unto the broad places of earth! Declare -- if thou hast known it all.

Have you understood how great the earth is? Tell Me, if you know all this.

19 W here this -- the way light dwelleth? And darkness, where this -- its place?

“Where does the light come from? And where is the place of darkness,

20 T hat thou dost take it unto its boundary, And that thou dost understand The paths of its house.

that you may take it to its land, and know the paths to its home?

21 T hou hast known -- for then thou art born And the number of thy days many!

You know, for you were born then. You are very old!

22 H ast thou come in unto the treasure of snow? Yea, the treasures of hail dost thou see?

Have you gone into the store-houses of the snow? Have you seen the store-houses of the hail,

23 T hat I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle.

which I have kept for the time of trouble, for the day of war and battle?

24 W here this, the way light is apportioned? It scattereth an east wind over the earth.

What is the way to the place where the light is divided, or the east wind spread over the earth?

25 W ho hath divided for the flood a conduit? And a way for the lightning of the voices?

“Who has cut open a way for the flood, and a path for the thunderstorm?

26 T o cause to rain on a land -- no man, A wilderness -- no man in it.

Who brings rain on the land without people, on a desert without a man in it,

27 T o satisfy a desolate and waste place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass?

to fill the need of the wasted land, and to make the grass grow?

28 H ath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

Does the rain have a father? Who has given birth to the drops of rain?

29 F rom whose belly came forth the ice? And the hoar-frost of the heavens, Who hath begotten it?

Who gave birth to ice? And who gave birth to the snow water of heaven?

30 A s a stone waters are hidden, And the face of the deep is captured.

Water becomes hard like stone, and the top of the sea is covered with ice.

31 D ost thou bind sweet influences of Kimah? Or the attractions of Kesil dost thou open?

“Can you tie the chains of the stars of Pleiades, or loose the ropes of Orion?

32 D ost thou bring out Mazzaroth in its season? And Aysh for her sons dost thou comfort?

Can you lead the groups of stars out at the right times? Can you lead the stars of the Bear with her young?

33 H ast thou known the statutes of heaven? Or dost thou appoint Its dominion in the earth?

Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you make them to rule over the earth?

34 D ost thou lift up to the cloud thy voice, And abundance of water doth cover thee?

“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of water may cover you?

35 D ost thou send out lightnings, and they go And say unto thee, `Behold us?'

Can you send out lightnings, that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’?

36 W ho hath put in the inward parts wisdom? Or who hath given To the covered part understanding?

Who has given wisdom to the heart? Who has given understanding to the mind?

37 W ho doth number the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who doth cause to lie down,

Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can push over the water jars of the heavens,

38 I n the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together?

when the dust gathers together and becomes hard?

39 D ost thou hunt for a lion prey? And the desire of young lions fulfil?

“Can you hunt food for the lion? Can you fill the hunger of the young lions,

40 W hen they bow down in dens -- Abide in a thicket for a covert?

when they lie in their own place in the rock, or wait in their hiding place?

41 W ho doth prepare for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry unto God? They wander without food.

Who gets the food ready for the raven, when its young cry to God and go about without food?