Study Desk

Then the LORD ^(C1)answered Job from the whirlwind and said,

"Who is this who ^(C1)darkens the divine plan By words without knowledge?

-"Now ^(F1)(C1)tighten the belt on your waist like a man, And ^(C2)I shall ask you, and you inform Me!

-"Where were you ^(C1)when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you ^(F1)have understanding,

Who set its ^(C1)measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the measuring line over it?

-"On what ^(C1)were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone,

When the morning stars sang together And all the ^(C1)sons of God shouted for joy?

"Or who ^(C1)enclosed the sea with doors When it went out from the womb, bursting forth;

When I made a cloud its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling bands,

And I ^(F1)(C1)placed boundaries on it And set a bolt and doors,

And I said, 'As far as this point you shall come, but no farther; And here your proud waves shall stop'?

"Have you ^(F1)ever in your life commanded the morning, And made the dawn know its place,

So that it would take hold of ^(C1)the ends of the earth, And ^(C2)the wicked would be shaken off from it?

-"It is changed like clay under the seal; And they stand out like a garment.

-"^(C1)Their light is withheld from the wicked, And the ^(C2)uplifted arm is broken.

"Have you entered ^(C1)the springs of the sea, And walked ^(F1)in the depth of the ocean?

-"Have the gates of death been revealed to you, And have you seen the gates of ^(C1)deep darkness?

-"Have you understood the ^(F1)expanse of ^(C1)the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.

"Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness, where is its place,

That you would take it to ^(C1)its territory, And discern the paths to its ^(F1)home?

-"You know, for ^(C1)you were born then, And the number of your days is great!

-"Have you entered the storehouses ^(C1)of the snow, And have you seen the storehouses of the ^(C2)hail,

Which I have reserved for a time of distress, For a day of war and battle?

-"Where is the way that ^(C1)the light is divided, And the east wind scattered on the earth?

"Who has split open a channel for the flood, And a way for the thunderbolt,

To bring ^(C1)rain on a land without ^(F1)people, On a desert without a person in it,

To ^(C1)satisfy the waste and desolate land, And to make the ^(F1)seeds of grass to sprout?

-"Does ^(C1)the rain have a father? Or who has fathered the drops of dew?

-"From whose womb has come the ^(C1)ice? And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?

-"Water ^(F1)becomes hard like stone, And the surface of the deep is imprisoned.

"Can you tie up the chains of the ^(C1)Pleiades, Or untie the cords of Orion?

-"Can you bring out a ^(F1)constellation in its season, And guide the Bear with her ^(F2)satellites?

-"Do you know the ^(C1)ordinances of the heavens, Or do you establish their rule over the earth?

"Can you raise your voice to the clouds, So that an ^(C1)abundance of water will cover you?

-"Can you ^(C1)send flashes of lightning, so that they may go And say to you, 'Here we are'?

-"Who has ^(C1)put wisdom in the innermost being, Or given ^(C2)understanding to the ^(F1)mind?

-"Who can count the clouds by wisdom, And ^(C1)pour out the water jars of the heavens,

When the dust hardens into a mass And the clods stick together?

"Can you hunt the ^(C1)prey for the lioness, Or satisfy the appetite of young lions,

When they ^(C1)crouch in their hiding places, And lie in wait in their lair?

-"Who prepares ^(F1)feed for ^(C1)the raven When its young cry to God, And wander about without food?

"Do you know the time the ^(F1)(C1)mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the ^(C2)deer?

-"Can you count the months they fulfill, Or do you know the time they give birth?

-"They kneel down, they deliver their young, They get rid of their labor pains.

-"Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field; They leave and do not return to them.

"Who sent the ^(C1)wild donkey out free? And who opened the bonds of the swift donkey,

To whom I gave ^(C1)the wilderness as his home, And the salt land as his dwelling place?

-"He laughs at the turmoil of the city, He does not hear the shouting of the taskmaster.

-"He explores the mountains of his pasture, And searches after every green thing.

-"Will the ^(C1)wild bull be willing to serve you, Or will he spend the night at your feeding trough?

-"Can you tie down the wild bull in a furrow with ^(F1)ropes, Or will he ^(F2)plow the valleys after you?

-"Will you trust him because his strength is great, And leave your labor to him?

-"Will you have faith in him that he will return your ^(F1)grain And gather it from your threshing floor?

"The wings of the ostrich flap joyously, With the pinion and feathers of ^(F1)love,

For she abandons her eggs to the earth And warms them in the dust,

And she forgets that a foot may crush ^(F1)them, Or that a wild animal may trample ^(F1)them.

-"She treats her young ^(C1)cruelly, as if they were not hers; Though her labor is for nothing, she is ^(F1)unconcerned,

Because God has made her forget wisdom, And has not given her a share of understanding.

-"When she rushes away on high, She laughs at the horse and his rider.

"Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane?

-"Do you make him ^(C1)leap like locusts? His majestic ^(C2)snorting is frightening.

-"^(F1)He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He ^(C1)goes out to meet the battle.

-"He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; And he does not turn back from the sword.

-"The quiver rattles against him, The flashing spear and javelin.

-"He ^(F1)races over the ground with a roar and fury, And he does not stand still when he hears the sound of the trumpet.

-"As often as the trumpet sounds he says, 'Aha!' And he senses the battle from afar, And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.

"Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, Stretching his wings toward the south?

-"Is it at your ^(F1)command that the eagle flies high, And makes ^(C1)his nest on high?

-"He dwells and spends his nights on the cliff, On the rocky cliff, an inaccessible place.

-"From there he ^(C1)tracks food; His eyes look at it from afar.

-"His young ones also lick up blood greedily; And ^(C1)where the slain are, there he is."

Then the LORD said to Job,

"Will the faultfinder ^(C1)contend with the Almighty? Let him who ^(C2)rebukes God ^(F1)give an answer."

Then Job answered the LORD and said,

"Behold, I am insignificant; what can I say in response to You? I ^(C1)put my hand on my mouth.

-"I have spoken once, and ^(C1)I will not reply; Or twice, and I will add nothing more."

Then the ^(C1)LORD answered Job from the whirlwind and said,

"Now ^(F1)(C1)tighten the belt on your waist like a man; I will ^(C2)ask you, and you instruct Me.

-"Will you really ^(C1)nullify My judgment? Will you ^(C2)condemn Me ^(C3)so that you may be justified?

-"Or do you have an arm like God, And can you ^(C1)thunder with a voice like His?

"^(C1)Adorn yourself with pride and dignity, And clothe yourself with honor and majesty.

-"Let out your ^(C1)outbursts of anger, And look at everyone who is ^(C2)arrogant, and humble him.

-"Look at everyone who is arrogant, and ^(C1)humble him, And ^(C2)trample down the wicked ^(F1)where they stand.

-"^(C1)Hide them together in the dust; Imprison ^(F1)them in the hidden place.

-"Then I will also ^(F1)confess to you, That your own right hand can save you.

"Behold, ^(F1)Behemoth, which ^(C1)I made ^(F2)as well as you; He eats grass like an ox.

-"Behold, his strength in his waist, And his power in the muscles of his belly.

-"He hangs his tail like a cedar; The tendons of his thighs are knit together.

-"His bones are tubes of bronze; His ^(F1)limbs are like bars of iron.

"He is the ^(C1)first of the ways of God; Let his ^(C2)Maker bring His sword near.

-"Indeed the ^(F1)mountains ^(C1)bring him food, And all the animals of the field ^(C2)play there.

-"He lies down under the lotus plants, In the hiding place of the reeds and the marsh.

-"The lotus plants cover him with ^(F1)shade; The willows of the brook surround him.

-"If a river ^(F1)rages, he is not alarmed; He is confident, though the ^(C1)Jordan rushes to his mouth.

-"Can anyone capture him ^(F1)when he is on watch, Can anyone pierce his nose with barbs?

"^(F1)Can you drag out ^(F2)(C1)Leviathan with a fishhook, And press down his tongue with a rope?

-"Can you ^(C1)put a ^(F1)rope in his nose, And pierce his jaw with a ^(F2)hook?

-"Will he make many pleas to you, Or will he speak to you gentle words?

-"Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him as a servant forever?

-"Will you play with him as with a bird, And tie him down for your young girls?

-"Will the ^(F1)traders bargain for him? Will they divide him among the merchants?

-"Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears?

-"Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle; ^(F1)you will not do it again!

-"^(F1)Behold, ^(F2)your expectation is false; Will ^(F3)you be hurled down even at the sight of him?

-"No one is so reckless that he dares to ^(C1)stir him; Who then is he who opposes Me?

-"Who has ^(C1)been first to give to Me, that I should repay him? Whatever is ^(C2)under the entire heaven is Mine.

"I will not be silent about his limbs, Or his mighty strength, or his graceful frame.

-"Who can ^(F1)strip off his outer covering? Who can ^(F2)pierce his double ^(F3)armor?

-"Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth there is terror.

-"His ^(F1)strong scales are his pride, Locked as with a tight seal.

-"One is so close to another That no air can come between them.

-"They are joined one to another; They clasp each other and cannot be separated.

-"His sneezes flash forth light, And his eyes are like the ^(C1)eye of dawn.

-"From his mouth go burning torches; Sparks of fire leap forth.

-"From his nostrils smoke goes out As from a boiling pot and burning reeds.

-"His breath sets coals aglow, And a flame goes forth from his mouth.

-"In his neck dwells strength, And dismay leaps before him.

-"The folds of his flesh are joined together, Firm and immovable on him.

-"His heart is as firm as a stone, And as firm as a lower millstone.

-"When he rises up, the ^(F1)mighty are afraid; Because of the crashing they are bewildered.

-"The sword that reaches him cannot ^(F1)prevail, Nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.

-"He regards iron as straw, Bronze as rotten wood.

-"The ^(F1)arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones are turned into stubble for him.

-"Clubs are regarded as stubble; He laughs at the rattling of the javelin.

-"His underparts are like sharp pieces of pottery; He ^(F1)spreads out like a threshing sledge on the mud.

-"He makes the depths boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a jar of ointment.

-"Behind him he illuminates a pathway; One would think the deep to be gray-haired.

-"^(C1)Nothing on ^(F1)earth is like him, One made without fear.

-"^(F1)He looks on everything that is high; He is king over all the ^(C1)sons of pride."