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The Book of Job

⭑ World English Bible Catholic :: King James Version ⭑

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- Chapter 38 -

The Lord reveals his omnipotence to Job

1
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind,
2
“Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3
Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you answer me!
4
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding.
5
Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?
6
What were its foundations fastened on? Or who laid its cornerstone,
7
when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8
“Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke out of the womb,
9
when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness,
10
marked out for it my bound, set bars and doors,
11
and said, ‘You may come here, but no further. Your proud waves shall be stopped here’?
12
“Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place,
13
that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and shake the wicked out of it?
14
It is changed as clay under the seal, and presented as a garment.
15
From the wicked, their light is withheld. The high arm is broken.
16
“Have you entered into 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 the shadow of death?
18
Have you comprehended the earth in its width? Declare, if you know it all.
19
“What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is its place,
20
that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house?
21
Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!
22
Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
23
which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24
By what way is the lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth?
25
Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunderstorm,
26
to cause it to rain on a land where there is no man, on the wilderness, in which there is no man,
27
to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, to cause the tender grass to grow?
28
Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew?
29
Whose womb did the ice come out of? Who has given birth to the gray frost of the sky?
30
The waters become hard like stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen.
31
“Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?
32
Can you lead the constellations out in their season? Or can you guide the Bear with her cubs?
33
Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth?
34
“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover you?
35
Can you send out lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36
Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind?
37
Who can count the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the containers of the sky,
38
when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods of earth stick together?
39
“Can you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40
when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket?
41
Who provides for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food?

The Lord reveals his omnipotence to Job

1
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3
Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.(a)
4
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.(b)
5
Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6
Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;(c) (d)
7
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8
Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
9
When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
10
And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,(e)
11
And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?(f)
12
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
13
That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?(g)
14
It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.
15
And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.
16
Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
17
Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18
Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.
19
Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
20
That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?(h)
21
Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?
22
Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
23
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24
By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?
25
Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
26
To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
27
To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
28
Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
29
Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
30
The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.(i)
31
Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?(j) (k)
32
Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?(l) (m)
33
Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?
34
Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
35
Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?(n)
36
Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?
37
Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,(o)
38
When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?(p)
39
Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,(q)
40
When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
41
Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.

Footnotes

(a)38:3 answer…: Heb. make me know
(b)38:4 hast…: Heb. knowest understanding
(c)38:6 foundations: Heb. sockets
(d)38:6 fastened: Heb. made to sink?
(e)38:10 brake…: or, established my decree upon it
(f)38:11 thy…: Heb. the pride of thy waves
(g)38:13 ends: Heb. wings
(h)38:20 to the bound: or, at, etc
(i)38:30 is…: Heb. is taken
(j)38:31 Pleiades: or, the seven stars: Heb. Cimah
(k)38:31 Orion: Heb. Cesil?
(l)38:32 Mazzaroth: or, the twelve signs
(m)38:32 guide: Heb. guide them
(n)38:35 Here…: Heb. Behold us?
(o)38:37 stay: Heb. cause to lie down
(p)38:38 groweth…: or, is turned into mire: Heb. is poured
(q)38:39 the appetite: Heb. the life
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