Amplified Bible (AMP)

Job’s Present State Is Humiliating

1 “But now those younger than I mockandlaugh at me,

Whose fathers I refused to put with the sheepdogs of my flock.

2 “Indeed, how could the strength of their hands profit me?

Vigor had perished from them.

3 “They are gaunt with want and famine;

They gnaw the dryandbarren ground by night in [the gloom of] waste and desolation.

4 “They pluck [and eat]saltwort (mallows) among the bushes,

And their food is the root of the broom shrub.

5 “They are driven from the community;

They shout after them as after a thief.

6 “They must dwell on the slopes ofwadis

And inholes in the ground and in rocks.

7 “Among the bushes they cry out [like wild animals];

Beneath the prickly scrub they gatherandhuddle together.

8 “They are thesons of [worthless and nameless] fools,

They have been driven out of the land.

9 “And now I have become [the subject of] their taunting;

Yes, I am abywordanda laughingstock to them.

10 “They hate me, they stand aloof from me,

And do not refrain from spitting in my face.

11 “For God has loosed His bowstring [attacking me] and [He has] afflictedandhumbled me;

They have cast off the bridle [of restraint] before me.

12 “On my right the [rabble] brood rises;

They push my feet away, and they build up their ways of destruction against me [like an advancing army].

13 “They break upandclutter my path [upsetting my plans],

They profit from my destruction;

No one restrains them.

14 “Asthrougha wide breach they come,

Amid the crash [of falling walls] they roll on [over me].

15 “Terrors are turned upon me;

They chase away my honorandreputation like the wind,

And my prosperity has passed away like a cloud.

16 “And now my soul is poured out within me;

The days of affliction have seized me.

17 “My bones are pierced [with aching] in the night season,

Andthe painsthat gnaw me take no rest.

18 “By the great force [of my disease] my garment (skin) is disfiguredandblemished;

It binds about me [choking me] like the collar of my coat.

19 “God has cast me into the mire [a swampland of crisis],

And I have become [worthless] like dust and ashes.

20 “I cry to You for help, [Lord,] but You do not answer me;

I stand up, but You [only] gaze [indifferently] at me.

21 “You have become harshandcruel to me;

With the might of Your hand You [keep me alive only to] persecute me.

22 “You lift me up on the wind and cause me to ride [upon it];

And You toss me about in the tempestanddissolve me in the storm.

23 “For I know that You will bring me to death

And to the house of meeting [appointed] for all the living.

24 “However, does not one falling in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand?

Or in his disaster [will he not] therefore cry out for help?

25 “Did I not weep for one whose life was hardandfilled with trouble?

Was not my heart grieved for the needy?

26 “When I expected good, then came evil [to me];

And when I waited for light, then came darkness.

27 “I am seething withinandmy heart is troubled and cannot rest;

Days of affliction come to meet me.

28 “I go about mourning without comfort [my skin blackened by disease, not by the heat of the sun];

I stand up in the assemblyandcry out for help.

29 “I am a brother to [howling] jackals,

And a companion to ostriches [which scream dismally].

30 “My skin falls from me in blackened flakes,

And my bones are burned with fever.

31 “Therefore my lyre (harp) isusedfor [the sound of] mourning,

And my flute for the [sound of the] voices of those who weep.

Job Asserts His Integrity

1 “I have made a covenant (agreement) with my eyes;

How then could I gaze [lustfully] at a virgin?

2 “For what is the portion I would have from God above,

And what heritage from the Almighty on high?

3 “Does not tragedy fall [justly] on the unjust

And disaster to those who work wickedness?

4 “Does not God see my ways

And count all my steps?

5 “If I have walked with falsehood,

Or if my foot has chased after deceit,

6 Oh, let Him weigh me with accurate scales,

And let God know my integrity.

7 “If my step has turned away from the way [of God],

Or if my heart has [covetously] followed my eyes,

Or if any spot [of guilt] has stained my hands,

8 Then let me plant and [let] another eat [from the results of my labor],

And let my crops be uprootedandruined.

9 “If my heart has been enticedandI was made a fool by a woman,

Or if I have [covetously] lurked at my neighbor’s door [until his departure],

10 Let my wife grind [meal, like a bond slave] for another [man],

And let otherskneel down over her.

11 “Foradulteryis a heinousandlustful crime;

Moreover, it would be a sinpunishable bythe judges.

12 “For it is a fire which consumes to Abaddon (destruction, ruin, final torment);

And [illicit passion] would burnandrageanduproot all my [life’s] increase [destroying everything].

13 “If I have despisedandrejected the claim of my male or female servants

When they filed a complaint against me,

14 What then could I do when God arises [to judge me]?

When He calls me to account, what will I answer Him?

15 “Did not He who made me in the womb make my servant,

And did not the same One fashion us both in the womb?

16 “If I have withheld from the poor whattheydesired,

Or have caused the eyes of the widow to look in vain [for relief],

17 Or have eaten my morsel [of food] alone,

And did not share it with the orphan

18 (But from my youth the orphan grew up with me as with a father,

And from my mother’s womb I have been the widow’s guide),

19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,

Or any poor person without covering,

20 If his loins have not thankedandblessed me [for clothing them],

And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,

21 If I have lifted my hand against the orphan,

Because I saw [that the judges would be] my help at the [council] gate,

22 Then let my shoulder fall away from its socket,

And my arm be broken off at the elbow.

23 “For tragedy from God is a terror to me,

And because of His majestyandexaltation I can do nothing [nor endure facing Him].

24 “If I have put my trustandconfidence in gold,

Or have declared fine gold my hopeandassurance,

25 If I gloatedandrejoiced because my wealth was great,

And because my [powerful] hand [alone] had obtained so much,

26 If I beheld the sun [as an object of worship] when it shone

Or the moon going in its splendor,

27 And my heart became secretly enticed [by them],

And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth [in respect to them],

28 This also would have been [a heinous] sincalling forjudgment,

For I would have denied God above.

29 “Have I rejoiced at the destruction of the enemy [who hated me],

Or exulted [in malicious triumph] when evil overtook him?

30 “No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin

By cursing my enemyandasking for his life.

31 “I assure you, the men of my tent have said,

‘Who can find one [in need] who has not been satisfied with his meat’?

32 “The stranger has not lodged in the street,

Because I have opened my door to the traveler.

33 “Have I concealed my transgressions like Adamorlike other men,

By hiding my wickedness in my bosom,

34 Because I feared the great multitude,

And the contempt of families terrified me,

So that I kept silenceanddid not acknowledge my sin and did not go out of the door?

35 “Oh, that I had one to listen to me!

Look, here is my signature (mark);

Let the Almighty answer me!

Let my adversary write out His indictment [and put His vague accusations in tangible form].

36 “Surely I would [proudly] bear it on my shoulder,

And bind the scroll around my head like a crown.

37 “I would count out to Him the number of my steps [with every detail of my life],

Approaching His presence asif I werea prince.

38 “For if my land has cried out against me,

And its furrows weep together;

39 If I have eaten its fruits without paying for them,

Or have caused its [rightful] owners to lose their lives,

40 Let thorns grow instead of wheat,

And stinkweedandcockleburs instead of barley.”

So the words of Job [with his friends] are finished.

Elihu Rebukes Job

1 So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes [and could not be persuaded otherwise by them].

2 But Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became indignant. His indignation was kindledandburnedandhe became upset with Job because he justified himself rather than God [and even expressed doubts about God’s character].

3 Elihu’s anger burned against Job’s three friends because they had found no answer [and were unable to determine Job’s error], and yet they had condemned Jobanddeclared him to be in the wrong [and responsible for his own afflictions].

4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because the others were years older than he.

5 And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouths of these three men, he burned with anger.

6 Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite said,

“I am young, and you are aged;

For that reason I was anxious and dared not tell you what I think.

7 “I thought age should speak,

And a multitude of years should teach wisdom.

8 “But there is [a vital force and] a spirit [of intelligence] in man,

And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.

9 “Those [who are] abundantin yearsmay not [always] be wise,

Nor may the elders [always] understand justice.

10 “Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me;

I also will give you my opinion [about Job’s situation]andtell you plainly what I think.’

11 “You see, I waited for your words,

I listened to your [wise] reasons,

While you ponderedandsearched out what to say.

12 “I even paid close attention to [what] you [said],

Indeed, not one of you convinced Job [nor could you refute him],

Not one of you supplied [satisfactory] answers to his words.

13 “Beware if you say,

‘We have found wisdom;

God thrusts Job down [justly], not man [for God alone is dealing with him].’

14 “Now Job has not directed his words against me [therefore I have no reason to be offended],

Nor will I answer him with arguments like yours. [I speak for truth, not for revenge.]

15 “They (Job’s friends) are dismayedandembarrassed, they no longer answer;

The words have moved awayandfailed them,” [says Elihu].

16 “And shall I wait, because they say nothing,

But stand still and say no more?

17 “I too will give my share of answers;

I too will express my opinionandshare my knowledge.

18 “For I am full of words;

The spirit within me constrains me.

19 “My belly is like unvented wine;

Like new wineskins it is about to burst.

20 “I must speak so that I may get relief;

I will open my lips and answer.

21 “I will not [I warn you] be partial to any man [that is, let my respect for you mitigate what I say];

Nor flatter any man.

22 “For I do not know how to flatter, [in an appropriate way, and I fear that],

My Maker would soon take me away.

Elihu Claims to Speak for God

1 “However, Job, please listen to my words,

And pay attention to everything I say.

2 “Behold, I have opened my mouth [to begin my speech];

My tongue in my mouth is going to speak.

3 “My words will express the uprightness of my heart,

And my lips will speak what they know with utter sincerity.

4 “The Spirit of God has made me,

And the breath ofthe Almighty gives me life [which inspires me].

5 “Answer me, if you can;

Set yourselves before me, take your stand.

6 “Behold, I belong to God like you;

I too was formed out of the clay.

7 “Behold, I will not make you afraid or terrified of me [for I am only mortal and not God],

Nor should any pressure from me weigh heavily upon you.

8 “Surely you have spoken in my hearing,

And I have heard the sound of your words, saying:

9 ‘I am pure, without transgression;

I am innocent and there is no guilt in me.

10 ‘Behold, God finds pretexts against me;

He counts me as His enemy.

11 ‘He puts my feet in the stocks [to hinder and humiliate me];

He [suspiciously] watches all my paths,’ [you say].

12 “Look, let me answer you, in this you are not rightorjust;

For God is greaterandfar superior to man.

13 “Why do you complain against Him?

That He does not answer [you with] all His doings.

14 “For God speaks once,

Andeventwice, yet no one notices it [including you, Job].

15 “In a dream, a vision of the night [one may hear God’s voice],

When deep sleep falls on men

While slumbering upon the bed,

16 Then He opens the ears of men

And seals their instruction,

17 That He may turn man asidefrom hisconduct,

And keep him from pride;

18 He holds back his soul from the pit [of destruction],

And his life from passing over into Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).

19 “Man is also disciplined with pain on his bed,

And with unceasing complaint in his bones,

20 So that his life makes him loathe food,

And his soul [loathe] even his favorite dishes.

21 “His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,

And his bones which were not seen now stick out.

22 “Then his soul draws near to the pit [of destruction],

And his life to those who bring death (the destroyers).

23 “If there is an angel as a mediator for him,

One out of a thousand,

To explain to a man what is right for him [that is, how to be in right standing with God],

24 Thenthe angel is gracious to him, and says,

‘Spare him from going down to the pit [of destruction];

I have found a ransom [a consideration, or reason for redemption, an atonement]!’

25 “Let his flesh be restoredandbecome fresher than in youth;

Let him return to the days of his youthful strength.

26 “He will pray to God, and He shall be favorable to him,

So that he looks at His face with joy;

For God restores to man His righteousness [that is, his right standing with God–with its joys].

27 “He sings out to other men,

‘I have sinned and perverted that which was right,

And it was not proper for me!

28 ‘God has redeemed my life from going to the pit [of destruction],

And my life shall see the light.’”

29 [Elihu comments,] “Behold, God does all thesethingstwice, yes, three times, with a man,

30 To bring his life back from the pit [of destruction],

That he may be enlightened with the light of the living.

31 “Pay attention, Job, listen to me;

Keep silent, and I will speak.

32 “If you have anything to say, answer me;

Speak, for I desire to justify you.

33 “If not [and you have nothing to say], listen to me;

Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Elihu Vindicates God’s Justice

1 Elihu continuedhis discourseand said,

2 “Hear my words, you wise men,

And listen to me, you who have [so much] knowledge.

3 “For the ear puts words to the test

As the palate tastes food.

4 “Let us choose for ourselves that which is right;

Let us know among ourselves what is good.

5 “For Job has said, ‘I am righteous [and innocent],

But God has taken away my right;

6 Although I am right, I am accounted a liar.

My wound is incurable,though I amwithout transgression.’

7 “What man is like Job,

Who drinks up derision like water,

8 Who goes in company with those who do evil

And walks with wicked men?

9 “For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing

When he takes delightandis pleased with Godandobeys Him.’

10 “Therefore hear me, you men of understanding.

Far be it from God that He would do wickedness,

And from the Almighty to do wrong.

11 “For God pays a man according to his work,

And He will make every man find [appropriate]compensationaccording to his way.

12 “Surely God will not act wickedly,

Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.

13 “Who put God in charge over the earth?

And who has laidon Himthe whole world?

14 “If God should determine to do so,

If He should gather to Himself [that is, withdraw from man] His [life-giving] spirit and His breath,

15 All flesh would perish together,

And man would return to dust.

16 “Ifyou now haveunderstanding, hear this;

Listen to the sound of my words.

17 “Shall one who hates justice [and is an enemy of right] govern?

And will you condemn Him who is justandmighty?

18 “God who says to a king, ‘You are worthlessandvile,’

Or to princesandnobles, ‘You are wickedandevil’?

19 “Who is not partial to princes,

Nor does He regard the rich above the poor,

For they all are the work of His hands.

20 “In a moment they die, even at midnight

The people are shaken and pass away,

And the powerful are taken away without a [human] hand.

21 “For God’s eyes are on the ways of a man,

And He sees all his steps.

22 “There is no darkness nor deep shadow

Where the evildoers may hide themselves.

23 “For He sets no appointed time for a man,

That he should appear before Him in judgment.

24 “He breaks mighty men without inquiry,

And sets others in their place.

25 “Therefore He knows of their works,

And He overthrows them in the night,

So that they are crushedanddestroyed.

26 “He strikes them like the wicked

In a public place,

27 Because they turned aside from following Him

And would not considerorshow regard for any of His ways,

28 So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him,

And He heard the cry of the afflicted.

29 “When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn?

When He hides His face [withdrawing His favor and help], who then can behold Him [and make supplication to Him],

Whether it be a nation or a man by himself?–

30 So that godless men would not rule

Nor be snares for the people.

31 “For has anyone said to God,

‘I have enduredmy chastisement;

I will not offendanymore;

32 Teach me what I do not see [in regard to how I have sinned];

If I have done wrong (injustice, unrighteousness),

I will not do it again’?

33 “Shall God’s retribution [for your sins] be on your terms, because you refuse to accept it?

For you must do the choosing, and not I;

Therefore say what you [truthfully] know.

34 “Men of understanding will tell me,

Indeed, every wise man who hears me [will agree],

35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge,

And his words are without wisdomandinsight.

36 ‘Job ought to be triedto the limit

Because he answers like wicked men!

37 ‘For he adds rebellion [in his unsubmissive, defiant attitude toward God] to his [unacknowledged] sin;

He claps his hands among us [in open mockery and contempt of God],

And he multiplies his words [of accusation] against God.’”

Elihu Sharply Reproves Job

1 Elihu continued speaking [to Job] and said,

2 “Do you think this is according to [your] justice?

Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?

3 “For you say, ‘What advantage have you [by living a righteous life]?

What profit will I have, more [by being righteous] than if I had sinned?’

4 “I will answer you,

And your companions with you.

5 “Look to the heavens and see;

And behold the skies which are [much] higher than you.

6 “If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him?

And if your transgressions are multiplied, what have you done to Him?

7 “If you are righteous, what do you give God,

Or what does He receive from your hand?

8 “Your wickednessaffects onlya man such as you,

And your righteousnessaffects onlya son of man [but it cannot affect God, who is sovereign].

9 “Because of the multitudes of oppressionsthe peoplecry out;

They cry for help because of the [violent] arm of the mighty.

10 “But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,

Who gives songs [of rejoicing] in the night,

11 Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth

And makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’

12 “The people cry out, but He does not answer

Because of the pride of evil men.

13 “Surely God will not listen to an empty cry [which lacks trust],

Nor will the Almighty regard it.

14 “Even though you say that you do not see Him [when missing His righteous judgment on earth],

Yet your case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!

15 “And now, because He has not [quickly] punished in His anger,

Nor has He acknowledged transgressionandarrogance well [and seems unaware of the wrong of which a person is guilty],

16 Job uselessly opens his mouth

And multiplies words without knowledge [drawing the worthless conclusion that the righteous have no more advantage than the wicked].”

Elihu Speaks of God’s Dealings with Men

1 Elihu continued and said,

2 “Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you,

That there is yet more to say on God’s behalf.

3 “I will bring my knowledge from afar,

And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

4 “For truly my words are not false;

He who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

5 “Behold, God is mighty, and yet does not despiseanyone[nor regard any as trivial];

He ismighty in the strengthandpower of understanding.

6 “He does not prolong the life of the wicked,

But gives the afflicted their justice.

7 “He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous [those in right standing with Him];

But with kings upon the throne

He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.

8 “And if they are bound in bonds [of adversity],

And held by cords of affliction,

9 Then He declares to them [the true character of] their deeds

And their transgressions, that they have acted arrogantly [with presumption and notions of self-sufficiency].

10 “He opens their ears to instructionanddiscipline,

And commands that they return from evil.

11 “If they hear and serveHim,

They will end their days in prosperity

And their years in pleasantnessandjoy.

12 “But if they do not hearandobey, they will die by the sword [of God’s destructive judgments]

And they will die [in ignorance] without [true] knowledge.

13 “But the godless in heart store up anger [at the divine discipline];

They do not cry [to Him] for help when He binds them [with cords of affliction].

14 “They die in youth,

And their lifeendsamong thecult prostitutes.

15 “He rescues the afflicted in their affliction,

And opens their ears [so that they pay attention to His voice] intimes ofoppression.

16 “Then indeed, He enticed you from the mouth of distressandconfinement,

Into a broad place where there is no constraintordistress;

And that which was set on your table was full of fatness (rich food).

17 “But you [Job] were full of judgment on the wicked,

Judgment and justice take holdof you.

18 “Do not let wrath entice you into scoffing;

And do not let the greatnessandthe extent of the ransom turn you aside.

19 “Will your wealth [be sufficient to] keep you from [the confinement of] distress,

Or will all the force of your strength do it?

20 “Do not long for the night,

When people vanish from their places.

21 “Take heedandbe careful, do not turn to wickedness,

For you have chosen this [the vice of complaining against God] rather than [learning from] affliction.

22 “Behold, God is exalted in His power;

Who is a rulerora teacher like Him?

23 “Who has appointed God His way,

And who can say [to Him], ‘You have done wrong’?

24 “Remember that you should magnify God’s work,

Of which men have sung.

25 “All men have seen God’s work;

Man looks at it from a distance.

26 “Behold, God is exalted, and we do not knowHim;

The number of His years is unsearchable.

27 “For He draws up the drops of water,

They distill rain from the mist,

28 Which the clouds pour down,

They drop abundantly upon mankind.”

29 “Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds

Or the thundering of His pavilion?

30 “Behold, He spreads His lightning around Him [against the dark clouds],

And He covers the depths of the sea.

31 “For by these [mighty acts] He judges the peoples;

He gives food in abundance.

32 “He coversHishands with the lightning,

And commands it to strike the mark.

33 “His thundering voice declares [awesomely] His presence;

The cattle also are told of His coming storm.

Elihu Says God has Authority over the Storm

1 “Indeed, atHisthundering my heart trembles

And leaps out of its place.

2 “Listen carefully to the thunder of His voice,

And the rumbling that goes out of His mouth!

3 “He lets it loose under the whole heaven,

And His lightning to the ends of the earth.

4 “After it, His voice roars;

He thunders with the voice of His majesty,

And He does not restrain His lightning [against His adversaries] when His voice is heard.

5 “God thunders marvelously with His voice;

He does great things which we cannot comprehend.

6 “For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;

And [He speaks] to the showers and to the downpour [of His mighty rains], ‘Be strong.’

7 “God seals (brings to a standstill, stops) [by severe weather] the hand of every man,

That all men [whom He has made] may know His work [that is, His sovereign power and their subjection to it].

8 “Then the beast goes into its lair

And remains in its hiding place.

9 “Out of its chamber comes the storm,

And cold from the north wind.

10 “Ice is made by the breath of God,

And the expanse of the waters is frozen.

11 “He loads the thick cloud with moisture;

He disperses the cloud of His lightning.

12 “Its direction is turned around by His guidance,

That it may do whatever He commands it

On the face of the inhabited earth.

13 “Whether [it be] for correction, or for His earth [generally]

Or for [His] mercyandlovingkindness, He causes it to happen.

14 “Listen to this, Job;

Stand still and consider the wonders of God.

15 “Do you know how God establishesandcommands them,

And makes the lightning of His [storm] cloud shine?

16 “Do you know about the layers of thick clouds [and how they are balanced and poised in the heavens],

The wonderful works of Him who is perfect in knowledge,

17 You whose garments are hot,

When He quiets the earth [in sultry summer] with the [oppressive] south wind?

18 “Can you, with Him, spread out the sky,

Strong as a molten mirror?

19 “Tell us [Job] what words [of man] shall we say to such a Being;

We cannot stateour casebecause of darkness [that is, our ignorance in the presence of the unsearchable God].

20 “So shall it be told Him that I wish to speak?

Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up [and destroyed by God]?

21 “Now people cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies [without being blinded],

When the wind has passed and cleared them.

22 “Out of the north comes goldensplendor[and people can hardly look on it];

Around God is awesome splendorandmajesty [far too glorious for man’s eyes].

23 “The Almighty–we cannot find Him;

He is exalted in power

And He will not do violence to [nor disregard] justice and abundant righteousness.

24 “Men therefore fear Him;

He does not regardnorrespect any who are wise in heart [in their own understanding and conceit].”

God Speaks Now to Job

1 Then the Lordanswered Job out of the whirlwind and said,

2 “Who is this that darkens counsel [questioning my authority and wisdom]

By words without knowledge?

3 “Nowgird up your loins like a man,

And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!

4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

TellMe,if you knowandhave understanding.

5 “Who determined the measurements [of the earth], if you know?

Or who stretched the [measuring] line on it?

6 “On what were its foundations fastened?

Or who laid its cornerstone,

7 When the morning stars sang together

And all the sons of God (angels) shouted for joy?

8 “Or who enclosed the sea with doors

When it burst forth and went out of the womb;

9 When I made the clouds its garment

And thick darkness its swaddling band,

10 And marked for it My [appointed] boundary

And set bars and doors [defining the shorelines],

11 And said, ‘This far you shall come, but no farther;

And here your proud waves shall stop’?

God’s Mighty Power

12 “Sinceyour days began, have youevercommanded the morning,

And caused the dawn to know its place,

13 So that light may take hold of the corners of the earth

And shake the wickedness out of it?

14 “The earth is changed like clayinto whicha seal is pressed;

And the things [of the earth] stand out like a [multi-colored] garment.

15 “Their light is withheld from the wicked,

And the uplifted arm is broken.

16 “Have you enteredandexplored the springs of the sea

Or [have you] walked in the recesses of the deep?

17 “Have the gates of death been revealed to you,

Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?

18 “Have you understood the expanse of the earth?

TellMe,if you know all this.

19 “Where is thewaywherelight dwells?

And as for darkness, where is its place,

20 That you may take it to its territory

And that you may know the paths to its house?

21 “You [must] know, since you were born then,

Andbecause you are so extremely old!

22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,

Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,

23 Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,

For the day of battle and war?

24 “Where is the way that the light is distributed,

Or the east wind scattered over the earth?

25 “Who has prepared a channel for the torrents of rainandfor the flood,

Or a path for the thunderbolt,

26 To bring rain on the uninhabited land,

And on the desert where no man lives,

27 To satisfy the barren and desolate ground

And to make the seeds of grass to sprout?

28 “Has the rain a father?

Or who has begotten the drops of dew?

29 “Out of whose womb has come the ice?

And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?

30 “Water becomes like stone [and hides itself],

And the surface of the deep is frozenandimprisoned.

31 “Can you bind the chains of [the cluster of stars called] Pleiades,

Or loose the cords of [the constellation] Orion?

32 “Can you lead forth aconstellation in its season,

And guide [the stars of] the Bear with hersons?

33 “Do you know the ordinances of the heavens,

Or [can you] establish their rule over the earth?

34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,

So that an abundance of water will cover you?

35 “Can you send forth lightnings that they may go

And say to you, ‘Here we are’?

36 “Who has put wisdom in the innermost being [of man, or in the layers of clouds]

Or given understanding to the mind [of man, or to the heavenly display]?

37 “Who can count the clouds by [earthly] wisdom,

Or pour out the water jars of the heavens,

38 When the dust hardens into a mass

And the clods stick together [because of the heat]?

39 “Can you [Job] hunt the prey for the lion,

Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions

40 When they crouch in their dens

And lie in wait in their lair?

41 “Who provides prey for the raven

When its young cry to God

And wander about without food?

God Speaks of Nature and Its Beings

1 “Do you know the time when the wild goats of the rock give birth [to their young]?

Do you observe the calving of the deer?

2 “Can you count the months that theycarry offspring,

Or do you know the time when they give birth?

3 “They kneel down, they bring forth their young,

They cast out their labor pains.

4 “Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field;

They leave and do not return to them.

5 “Who sent out the wild donkey free [from dependence on man]?

And who has loosed the bonds of the wild donkey [to survive in the wild],

6 To whom I gave the wilderness as his home

And the salt land as his dwelling place?

7 “He scorns the tumult of the city,

And does not hear the shouting of the taskmaster.

8 “He explores the mountains as his pasture

And searches after every green thing.

9 “Will the wild ox be willing to serve you,

Or remain beside your manger at night?

10 “Can you bind the wild ox with a harness [to the plow] in the furrow?

Or will he plow the valleys for you?

11 “Will you trust him because his strength is great

And leave your labor to him?

12 “Will you have faithanddepend on him to return your grain

And gather it from your threshing floor?

13 “The [flightless] wings of the ostrich wave joyously;

With the pinion (shackles, fetters) and plumage of love,

14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground

And warms them in the dust,

15 Forgetting that a foot may crush them,

Or that the wild beast may trample them.

16 “She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers;

Though her labor is in vain because she is unconcerned [for the safety of her brood],

17 For God has made her forget wisdom,

And has not given her a share of understanding.

18 “Yet when she lifts herselfon high,

[So swift is she that] she laughs at the horse and his rider.

19 “Have you given the horse his might?

Have you clothed his neck with quiveringanda shaking mane?

20 “Have you [Job] made him leap like a locust?

The majesty of his snorting [nostrils] is terrible.

21 “He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength;

He goes out to meet the weapons [of armed men].

22 “He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;

And [in battle] he does not turn back from the sword.

23 “The quiver rattles against him,

[As do] the flashing spear and the lance [of his rider].

24 “With fierceness and rage he races to devour the ground,

And he does not stand still at the sound of the [war] trumpet.

25 “As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’

And he smells the battle from far away,

Andsensesthe thunder of the captains and the war cry.

26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,

Stretching his wings toward the south [as winter approaches]?

27 “Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up

And makes his nest on high [in an inaccessible place]?

28 “On the cliff he dwells and remains [securely],

Upon the point of the rock and the inaccessible stronghold.

29 “From there he spies out the prey;

His eyes see it from far away.

30 “His young ones suck up blood;

And where the slain are, there is he.”