God Speaks Now to Job
1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,2“Who is this that darkens counsel [questioning my authority and wisdom]By words without knowledge?3“Now[a]gird 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 knowand have 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,7When the morning stars sang togetherAnd all the sons of God (angels) shouted for joy?8“Or who enclosed the sea with doorsWhen it burst forth and went out of the womb;9When I made the clouds its garmentAnd thick darkness its swaddling band,10And marked for it My [appointed] boundaryAnd set bars and doors [defining the shorelines],11And said, ‘This far you shall come, but no farther;And here your proud waves shall stop’?
God’s Mighty Power
12“Since your days began, have youever commanded the morning,And caused the dawn to know its place,13So that light may take hold of the corners of the earthAnd shake the wickedness out of it?14“The earth is changed like clayinto which a 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 enteredand explored the springs of the seaOr [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 the[b]waywhere light dwells?And as for darkness, where is its place,20That you may take it to its territoryAnd that you may know the paths to its house?21“You [must] know, since you were born then,And[c]because you are so extremely old!22“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,23Which 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 rainand for the flood,Or a path for the thunderbolt,26To bring rain on the uninhabited land,And on the desert where no man lives,27To satisfy the barren and desolate groundAnd 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 frozenand imprisoned.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 a[d]constellation in its season,And guide [the stars of] the Bear with her[e]sons?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 goAnd 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,38When the dust hardens into a massAnd 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 lions40When they crouch in their densAnd lie in wait in their lair?41“Who provides prey for the ravenWhen its young cry to GodAnd wander about without food?
[a]3 A phrase often found in the Bible that is an urgent call to get ready for immediate action, or it may be a call to prepare for a coming action or event. The phrase is related to the type of clothing worn in ancient times. To keep from impeding the wearer during any vigorous activity, e.g. battle, exercise, strenuous work, etc., the loose ends of garments (tunics, cloaks, mantles, etc.) had to be gathered up and tucked into the girdle. The girdle was a band about six inches wide that had fasteners in front. It was worn around the loins (the midsection of the body between the lower ribs and the hips).Gird up your mind orgird up your heart are examples of variants of this phrase and call for mental or spiritual preparation for a coming challenge.
[b]19 Light travels on a path or “way” through empty space at 299,792,458 meters per second (approximately 186,282 miles per second).
[c]21 Litthe number of your days is great.
[d]32 HebMazzaroth.
[e]32 Orsatellites.