The Bible in Its Traditions

Job 38:1–40:5

M S
G
V

Then YHWH answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said

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

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

M V S
G

Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

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

M G
V
S

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

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

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

M G S
V

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

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

M
G V S

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

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

M
G S
V

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

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

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

M V
G
S

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

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

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

M S
G
V

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

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

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

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

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

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.”

M V S
G

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;

M S
G
V

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.

M
G
V S

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?

M V S
G

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?

M
G
V S

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.

M S
G
V

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?

M
G V
S

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?

M G
V
S

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?

M
G
V S

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,

M S
G
V

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?

M V
G
S

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?

M G V
S

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?

M V S
G

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,

M S
G
V

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?

M S
G V

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?

M S
G
V

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?

M V S
G

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?

M G
V
S

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?

M
G
V S

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?

M S
G
V

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?

M V S
G

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?

M V
G
S

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?

M G
V
S

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?

M
G V
S

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?

M V
G
S

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.

M S
G
V

39:1  Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? Or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?

Say if thou knowest the time of the bringing forth of the wild goats of the rock, and if thou hast marked the calving of the hinds

Do you know at what time the wild goats have given birth among the rocks, or do you observe the deer when they go into labor?

39:2  Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

and if thou has hast numbered the full months of their being with young, and if thou hast relieved their pangs

Have you numbered the months since their conception, and do you know at what time they gave birth?

M V
G S

39:3  They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, they cast out their fruit.

and hast reared their young without fear; and wilt thou loosen their pangs?

M V
G
S

39:4  Their young ones wax strong, they grow up in the open field; they go forth, and return not again.

Their young will break forth; they will be multiplied with offspring: their young will go forth, and will not return to them.

They bring up their young ones, until they grow up and are weaned.

M G V
S

39:5  Who hath sent out the wild ass free? Or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?

Who has left the wild ass to be free, and made him to escape the yoke?

M S
G
V

39:6  Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling-place.

whereas I made his habitation the wilderness, and the salt land his coverts.

I have given a house in solitude to him, and his tabernacle is in the salted land.

M G S
V

39:7  He scorneth the tumult of the city, neither heareth he the shoutings of the driver.

He despises the crowded city; he does not pay attention to the bellow of the tax collector.

M G V S

39:8  The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.

M
G
V S

39:9  Will the wild-ox be willing to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib?

And will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or to lie down at thy manger?

Will the rhinoceros be willing to serve you, and will he remain in your stall?

M G V
S

39:10  Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

10  Can you bind the yoke on the neck of the unicorn? Or will he harrow in a rugged place?

M G
V S

39:11  Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? Or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?

11  Will you put your faith in his great strength, and delegate your labors to him?

M G V
S

39:12  Wilt thou rely on him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather the corn of thy threshing-floor?

12  Do you trust him, that he will winnow your threshing and gather your grain into the barn?

M V
G
S

39:13  The wing of the ostrich beateth joyously; but are her pinions and feathers the kindly stork's?

13  The peacock has a beautiful wing: if the stork and the ostrich conceive, it is worthy of notice,

13  The ostrich rouses herself up haughtily; then she comes and makes her nest;

M G
V
S

39:14  For she leaveth her eggs on the earth, and warmeth them in dust,

14  When she leaves eggs behind in the earth, will you perhaps warm them in the dust?

14  But she leaves her eggs in the earth to be warmed on the ground.

M V
G S

39:15  And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may trample them.

15  and has forgotten that the foot will scatter them, and the wild beasts of the field trample them.

M V
G
S

39:16  She is hardened against her young ones, as if they were not hers; though her labour be in vain, she is without fear;

16  She has hardened herself against her young ones, as though she bereaved not herself: she labours in vain without fear.

16  She multiplies her young ones, though they do not stay with her; although her labor is in vain, she has no fear

M
G V
S

39:17  Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath He imparted to her understanding.

17  For God has withholden wisdom from her, and not given her a portion in understanding.

17  God has increased wisdom, but he has not given her a portion of it.

M V
G S

39:18  When the time cometh, she raiseth her wings on high, and scorneth the horse and his rider.

18  In her season she will lift herself on high; she will scorn the horse and his rider.

M G
V
S

39:19  Hast thou given the horse his strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with fierceness?

19  Will you supply strength to the horse, or envelope his throat with neighing?

19  Have you given the horse strength? Have you clothed his neck with armour?

M V
G
S

39:20  Hast thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is terrible.

20  And hast thou clad him in perfect armour, and made his breast glorious with courage?

20  Can you make him move like the locust? Or can you make him afraid?

M S
G
V

39:21  He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength; he goeth out to meet the clash of arms.

21  He paws exulting in the plain, and goes forth in strength into the plain.

21  He digs at the earth with his hoof; he jumps around boldly; he advances to meet armed men.

39:22  He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.

22  He laughs to scorn a king as he meets him, and will by no means turn back from the sword.

22  He despises fear; he does not turn away from the sword.

39:23  The quiver rattleth upon him, the glittering spear and the javelin.

23  The bow and sword resound against him; and his rage will swallow up the ground

23  Above him, the quiver rattles, the spear and the shield shake.

39:24  He swalloweth the ground with storm and rage; neither believeth he that it is the voice of the horn.

24  and he will not believe until the trumpet sounds.

24  Seething and raging, he drinks up the earth; neither does he pause when the blast of the trumpet sounds.

M V
G S

39:25  As oft as he heareth the horn he saith: 'Ha, ha!' and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

25  And when the trumpet sounds, he says, Aha! and afar off he smells the war with prancing and neighing.

M S
G
V

39:26  Doth the hawk soar by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?

26  And does the hawk remain steady by thy wisdom, having spread out her wings unmoved, looking toward the region of the south?

26  Does the hawk grow feathers by means of your wisdom, spreading her wings towards the south?

M
G S
V

39:27  Doth the vulture mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?

27  And does the eagle rise at thy command, and the vulture remain sitting over his nest,

27  Will the eagle lift herself up at your command and make her nest in steep places?

M V
G
S

39:28  She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the stronghold.

28  on a crag of a rock, and in a secret place?

28  He dwells and lodges on the rock, upon the cliff of the precipice.

39:29  From thence she spieth out the prey; her eyes behold it afar off.

29  Thence he seeks food, his eyes observe from far.

29  He is sustained by his prey, his eyes behold afar off.

M S
G
V

39:30  Her young ones also suck up blood; and where the slain are, there is she.

30  And his young ones roll themselves in blood, and wherever the carcasses may be, immediately they are found.

30  Her young will drink blood, and wherever the carcass will be, she is there immediately.

M S
G V

40:1  Moreover YHWH answered Job, and said

Jb39:31  And the Lord God answered Job, and said,

M
G V
S

40:2  Shall he that reproveth contend with the Almighty? He that argueth with God, let him answer it.

Jb39:32  Will any one pervert judgement with the Mighty One? and he that reproves God, let him return it for answer.

Many are the counsels of God; he who reproves God must answer for it.

M V S
G

40:3  Then Job answered YHWH, and said

Jb39:33  And Job answered and said to the Lord,

M S
G
V

40:4  Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer Thee? I lay my hand upon my mouth.

Jb39:34  Why do I yet plead? being rebuked even while reproving the Lord: hearing such things, whereas I am nothing: and what shall I answer to these arguments? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.

Jb39:34  What could I possibly answer, since I have been speaking thoughtlessly? I will place my hand over my mouth.

40:5  Once have I spoken, but I will not answer again; yea, twice, but I will proceed no further.

Jb39:35  I have spoken once; but I will not do so a second time.

Jb39:35  One thing I have spoken, which I wish I had not said; and another, to which I will add no more.