Study Desk

The Lord Speaks

Then the Lord spoke to Job^(a) out of the storm.^(b) He said:

"Who is this that obscures my plans^(c) with words without knowledge?^(d)

Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.^(e)

"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?^(f) Tell me, if you understand.^(g)

Who marked off its dimensions?^(h) Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line⁽ⁱ⁾ across it?

On what were its footings set,^(j) or who laid its cornerstone^(k)—

while the morning stars^(l) sang together^(m) and all the angels^[a](n) shouted for joy?^(o)

"Who shut up the sea behind doors^(p) when it burst forth from the womb,^(q)

when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness,^(r)

when I fixed limits for it^(s) and set its doors and bars in place,^(t)

when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;^(u) here is where your proud waves halt'?^(v)

"Have you ever given orders to the morning,^(w) or shown the dawn its place,^(x)

that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked^(y) out of it?^(z)

The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;^(aa) its features stand out like those of a garment.

The wicked are denied their light,^(ab) and their upraised arm is broken.^(ac)

"Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep?^(ad)

Have the gates of death^(ae) been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?^(af)

Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?^(ag) Tell me, if you know all this.^(ah)

"What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside?^(ai)

Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths^(aj) to their dwellings?

Surely you know, for you were already born!^(ak) You have lived so many years!

"Have you entered the storehouses of the snow^(al) or seen the storehouses^(am) of the hail,^(an)

which I reserve for times of trouble,^(ao) for days of war and battle?^(ap)

What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,^(aq) or the place where the east winds^(ar) are scattered over the earth?^(as)

Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm,^(at)

to water^(au) a land where no one lives, an uninhabited desert,^(av)

to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass?^(aw)

Does the rain have a father?^(ax) Who fathers the drops of dew?

From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens^(ay)

when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen?^(az)

"Can you bind the chains^[b] of the Pleiades? Can you loosen Orion's belt?^(ba)

Can you bring forth the constellations^(bb) in their seasons^[c] or lead out the Bear^[d] with its cubs?^(bc)

Do you know the laws^(bd) of the heavens?^(be) Can you set up God's^[e] dominion over the earth?

"Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water?^(bf)

Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?^(bg) Do they report to you, ‘Here we are'?

Who gives the ibis wisdom^[f](bh) or gives the rooster understanding?^[g](bi)

Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars^(bj) of the heavens^(bk)

when the dust becomes hard^(bl) and the clods of earth stick together?^(bm)

"Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions^(bn)

when they crouch in their dens^(bo) or lie in wait in a thicket?^(bp)

Who provides food^(bq) for the raven^(br) when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?^(bs)

"Do you know when the mountain goats^(a) give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?^(b)

Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth?^(c)

They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended.

Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return.

"Who let the wild donkey^(d) go free? Who untied its ropes?

I gave it the wasteland^(e) as its home, the salt flats^(f) as its habitat.^(g)

It laughs^(h) at the commotion in the town; it does not hear a driver's shout.⁽ⁱ⁾

It ranges the hills^(j) for its pasture and searches for any green thing.

"Will the wild ox^(k) consent to serve you?^(l) Will it stay by your manger^(m) at night?

Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness?⁽ⁿ⁾ Will it till the valleys behind you?

Will you rely on it for its great strength?^(o) Will you leave your heavy work to it?

Can you trust it to haul in your grain and bring it to your threshing floor?

"The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, though they cannot compare with the wings and feathers of the stork.^(p)

She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand,

unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them.^(q)

She treats her young harshly,^(r) as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain,

for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense.^(s)

Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs^(t) at horse and rider.

"Do you give the horse its strength^(u) or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?

Do you make it leap like a locust,^(v) striking terror^(w) with its proud snorting?^(x)

It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,^(y) and charges into the fray.^(z)

It laughs^(aa) at fear, afraid of nothing; it does not shy away from the sword.

The quiver^(ab) rattles against its side, along with the flashing spear^(ac) and lance.

In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground; it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.^(ad)

At the blast of the trumpet^(ae) it snorts, ‘Aha!' It catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry.^(af)

"Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread its wings toward the south?^(ag)

Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high?^(ah)

It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag^(ai) is its stronghold.

From there it looks for food;^(aj) its eyes detect it from afar.

Its young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there it is."^(ak)

The Lord said to Job:^(a)

"Will the one who contends with the Almighty^(b) correct him?^(c) Let him who accuses God answer him!"^(d)

Then Job answered the Lord :

"I am unworthy^(e)—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.^(f)

I spoke once, but I have no answer^(g)— twice, but I will say no more."^(h)

Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:⁽ⁱ⁾

"Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.^(j)

"Would you discredit my justice?^(k) Would you condemn me to justify yourself?^(l)

Do you have an arm like God's,^(m) and can your voice⁽ⁿ⁾ thunder like his?^(o)

Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor, and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.^(p)

Unleash the fury of your wrath,^(q) look at all who are proud and bring them low,^(r)

look at all who are proud^(s) and humble them,^(t) crush^(u) the wicked where they stand.

Bury them all in the dust together;^(v) shroud their faces in the grave.^(w)

Then I myself will admit to you that your own right hand can save you.^(x)

"Look at Behemoth, which I made^(y) along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox.^(z)

What strength^(aa) it has in its loins, what power in the muscles of its belly!^(ab)

Its tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.^(ac)

Its bones are tubes of bronze, its limbs^(ad) like rods of iron.^(ae)

It ranks first among the works of God,^(af) yet its Maker^(ag) can approach it with his sword.^(ah)

The hills bring it their produce,^(ai) and all the wild animals play^(aj) nearby.^(ak)

Under the lotus plants it lies, hidden among the reeds^(al) in the marsh.^(am)

The lotuses conceal it in their shadow; the poplars by the stream^(an) surround it.

A raging river^(ao) does not alarm it; it is secure, though the Jordan^(ap) should surge against its mouth.

Can anyone capture it by the eyes, or trap it and pierce its nose?^(aq)