1  Then YHWH answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said

1  And after Elius had ceased from speaking, the Lord spoke to Job through the whirlwind and clouds, saying,

1  But the Lord, responding to Job from a whirlwind, said

2  Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

2  Who is this that hides counsel from me, and confines words in his heart, and thinks to conceal them from me?

3  Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto Me.

3  Gird your waist like a man. I will question you, and you must answer me.

3  Gird up your loins now, like a valiant man; for I will question you, and you shall answer me.

4  Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast the understanding.

4  Where were you, when I set the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.

5  Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched the line upon it?

5  who set the measures of it, if thou knowest? or who stretched a line upon it?

6  Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner-stone thereof,

6  On what are its rings fastened? and who is he that laid the corner-stone upon it?

6  Upon what have its bases been grounded, and who set forth its cornerstone,

7  When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

7  When the stars were made, all my angels praised me with a loud voice.

7  When did I create the morning stars, and all the angels shouted for joy?

8  Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth, and issued out of the womb;

8  And I shut up the sea with gates, when it rushed out, coming forth out its mother’s womb.

8  Who enclosed the sea with doors, when it broke forth as if issuing from the womb,

9  When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

9  And I made a cloud its clothing, and swathed it in mist.

9  when I stationed a cloud as its garment and wrapped it in a mist as if swaddling an infant?

10  And prescribed for it My decree, and set bars and doors,

10  And I set bounds to it, surrounding it with bars and gates.

10  I encircled it with my limits, and I positioned its bars and doors.

11  And said: 'Thus far shalt thou come, but no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed'?

11  And I said to it, Hitherto shalt thou come, but thou shalt not go beyond, but thy waves shall be confined within thee.

11  And I said: “This far you will approach, and you will proceeded no further, and here you will break your swelling waves.”

12  Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began, and caused the dayspring to know its place;

12  Or did I order the morning light in thy time; and did the morning star then first see his appointed place;

13  That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it?

13  to lay hold of the extremities of the earth, to cast out the ungodly out of it?

13  And did you hold the extremities of the earth, shaking them, and have you shaken the impious out of it?

14  It is changed as clay under the seal; and they stand as a garment.

14  Or didst thou take clay of the ground, and form a living creature, and set it with the power of speech upon the earth?

14  The seal will be restored like clay, and it will remain in place like a garment.

15  But from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm is broken.

15  And hast thou removed light from the ungodly, and crushed the arm of the proud?

15  From the impious, the light will be taken away, and the exalted arm will be broken.

16  Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?

16  Or hast thou gone to the source of the sea, and walked in the tracks of the deep?

16  Have you entered the depths of the sea, and have you taken a walk in the uttermost parts of the abyss?

17  Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee? Or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?

17  And do the gates of death open to thee for fear; and did the porters of hell quake when they saw thee?

18  Hast thou surveyed unto the breadths of the earth? Declare, if thou knowest it all.

18  And hast thou been instructed in the breadth of the whole earth under heaven? tell me now, what is the extent of it?

18  Have you considered the breadth of the earth? If you know all things, reveal them to me.

19  Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and as for darkness, where is the place thereof;

19  And in what kind of a land does the light dwell? and of what kind is the place of darkness?

19  Which is the way that holds the light, and which is the place of darkness?

20  That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

20  If thou couldest bring me to their utmost boundaries, and if also thou knowest their paths;

20  Do you know its borders and the path to its house?

21  Thou knowest it, for thou wast then born, and the number of thy days is great!

21  So then, did you know when you were to be born? And did you know the number of your days?

21  Do you remember when you were born, and do you know if you will live many days?

22  Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow, or hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail,

22  But hast thou gone to the treasures of snow? and hast thou seen the treasures of hail?

22  Have you been admitted into the storehouses of the snows, and have you gazed upon the stockpile of the brimstone,

23  Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

23  And is there a store of them, for thee against the time of thine enemies, for the day of wars and battle?

23  which I have prepared for the time of the enemy, for the day of the battle and the war?

24  By what way is the light parted, or the east wind scattered upon the earth?

24  And whence proceeds the frost? or whence is the south wind dispersed over the whole world under heaven?

24  Or in what manner is light distributed, and whence the wind comes forth upon the earth?

25  Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood, or a way for the lightning of the thunder;

25  Who causes a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder?

26  To cause it to rain on a land where no man is, on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

26  to rain upon the land where there is no man, the wilderness, where there is not a man in it; so as to feed the untrodden and uninhabited land,

27  To satisfy the desolate and waste ground, and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

27  and cause it to send forth a crop of green herbs?

27  so that it would fill impassable and desolate places, and would bring forth green plants?

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

28  Who is the rain’s father? and who has generated the drops of dew?

29  Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoar-frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

29  And out of whose womb comes the ice? and who has produced the frost in the sky,

29  From whose womb did the ice proceed, and who created the frost from the air?

30  The waters are congealed like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

30  which descends like flowing water? who has terrified the face of the ungodly?

31  Canst thou bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?

31  Will you have the strength to join together the sparkling stars of the Pleiades, or are you able to disperse the circling of Arcturus?

31  Can you stop the movement of the Pleiades, or have you seen the path of Orion?

32  Canst thou lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? Or canst thou guide the Bear with her sons?

32  Or wilt thou reveal Mazuroth in his season, and the evening star with his rays? Wilt thou guide them?

32  Can you bring forth the morning star, in its time, and make the evening star rise over the sons of the earth?

33  Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth?

33  And knowest thou the changes of heaven, or the events which take place together under heaven?

33  Do you know the order of heaven, and can you explain its rules here on the earth?

34  Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

34  And wilt thou call a cloud with thy voice, and will it obey thee with a violent shower of much rain?

34  Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that an onslaught of waters will cover you?

35  Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee: 'Here we are'?

35  And wilt thou send lightnings, and they shall go? and shall they say to thee, What is thy pleasure?

35  Can you send forth lightning bolts, and will they go, and on returning, say to you: “Here we are?”

36  Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who hath given understanding to the mind?

36  And who has given to women skill in weaving, or knowledge of embroidery?

36  Who placed discernment in the guts of man, or who gave the rooster intelligence?

37  Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,

37  And who is he that numbers the clouds in wisdom, and has bowed the heaven down to the earth?

38  When the dust runneth into a mass, and the clods cleave fast together?

38  For it is spread out as dusty earth, and I have cemented it as one hewn stone to another.

38  Who has poured out soil upon the earth, and who has made the steep rocks?

39  Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lioness? Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

39  Will you seize prey for the lioness, and will you sustain the lives of her young,

39  Who has given prey for the lion? Or filled the appetite of the young lions?

40  When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?

40  For they fear in their lairs, and lying in wait couch in the woods.

40  Who has multiplied the beasts in the field? Or who has provided food for the raven?

41  Who provideth for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry unto God, and wander for lack of food?

41  And who has prepared food for the raven? for its young ones wander and cry to the Lord, in search of food.

41  For its young ones cry to God, and faint for lack of food.