Job 38

Berean Standard Bible

The LORD Challenges Job

1Then the LORDH3068 answeredH6030 JobH347 out ofH4480 the whirlwindH5591 and saidH559:

2“WhoH4310 is thisH2088 who obscuresH2821 My counselH6098by wordsH4405 withoutH1097 knowledgeH1847?13NowH4994 braceH247 yourselfH2504 2 like a manH1397;I will question youH7592, and you shall inform MeH3045.34WhereH375 were youH1961 when I laid the foundationsH3245 of the earthH776?TellH5046 Me, ifH518 you have understandingH3045 H998.5WhoH4310 fixedH7760 its measurementsH4461? SurelyH3588 you knowH3045!OrH176 whoH4310 stretchedH5186 a measuring lineH6957 across itH5921?6 On whatH4100 were its foundationsH134 setH2883,orH176 whoH4310 laidH3384 its cornerstoneH68 H6438,47while the morningH1242 starsH3556 sangH7442 togetherH3162and allH3605 the sonsH1121 of GodH430 shouted for joyH7321?

8Who enclosedH5526 the seaH3220 behind doorsH1817when it burst forthH1518 from the wombH7358 H3318,9when I madeH7760 the cloudsH6051 its garmentH3830and thick darknessH6205 its blanketH2854,10when I fixedH7665 H5921 its boundariesH2706and set in placeH7760 its barsH1280 and doorsH1817,11and I declaredH559: ‘You may comeH935 this farH5704 H6311, but noH3808 fartherH3254;hereH6311 your proudH1347 wavesH1530 must stopH7896’?

12In your daysH3117, have you commandedH6680 the morningH1242or assignedH3045 the dawnH7837 its placeH4725,13that it might spreadH270 to the endsH3671 of the earthH776and shakeH5287 the wickedH7563 out of itH4480?14The earth takes shapeH2015 like clayH2563 under a sealH2368;its hills stand outH3320 likeH3644 the folds of a garmentH3830.15LightH216 is withheldH4513 from the wickedH7563,and their upraisedH7311 armH2220 is brokenH7665.

16Have you journeyedH935 toH5704 the ventsH5033 of the seaH3220or walkedH1980 in the trenchesH2714 of the deepH8415?17Have the gatesH8179 of deathH4194 been revealedH1540 to you?Have you seenH7200 the gatesH8179 of the shadow of deathH6757?18Have you surveyedH995 H5704 the extentH7338 of the earthH776?TellH5046 Me, ifH518 you knowH3045 all thisH3605.

19WhereH335 H2088 is the wayH1870 to the homeH7931 of lightH216?Do you know whereH335 H2088 darknessH2822 residesH4725,20soH3588 you can lead it backH3947 toH413 its borderH1366 H3588?Do you knowH995 the pathsH5410 to its homeH1004?21Surely you knowH3045, forH3588 you were alreadyH227 bornH3205!And the numberH4557 of your daysH3117 is greatH7227!

22Have you enteredH935 H413 the storehousesH214 of snowH7950or observedH7200 the storehousesH214 of hailH1259,23whichH834 I hold in reserveH2820 for timesH6256 of troubleH6862,for the dayH3117 of warH7128 and battleH4421?24In whichH335 H2088 directionH1870 is the lightningH216 dispersedH2505,or the east windH6921 scatteredH6327 overH5921 the earthH776?

25WhoH4310 cutsH6385 a channelH8585 for the floodH7858or clears a pathH1870 forH2385 the thunderboltH6963,26to bring rainH4305 onH5921 a barrenH3808 H376 landH776,on a desertH4057 where noH3808 manH120 lives,27to satisfyH7646 the parchedH7722 wastelandH4875and make it sproutH6779 H4161 with tender grassH1877?28Does the rainH4306 haveH3426 a fatherH1 H176?WhoH4310 has begottenH3205 the dropsH96 of dewH2919?29From whoseH4310 wombH990 does the iceH7140 emergeH3318?WhoH4310 gives birth toH3205 the frostH3713 from heavenH8064,30when the watersH4325 become hardH2244 as stoneH68and the surfaceH6440 of the deepH8415 is frozenH3920?

31Can you bindH7194 the chainsH4575 of the PleiadesH3598orH176 loosenH6605 the beltH4189 of OrionH3685?32Can you bring forthH3318 the constellationsH4216 in their seasonsH6256 5or lead outH5148 the BearH5906 6 andH5921 her cubsH1121?33Do you knowH3045 the lawsH2708 of the heavensH8064 H518?Can you setH7760 their dominionH4896 over the earthH776?34Can you commandH7311 H6963 the cloudsH5645so that a floodH8229 of waterH4325 covers youH3680?35Can you sendH7971 the lightning boltsH1300 on their wayH1980?Do they reportH559 to you, ‘Here we areH2005’?

36WhoH4310 has putH7896 wisdomH2451 in the heartH2910 7orH176 H4310 givenH5414 understandingH998 to the mindH7907?37WhoH4310 has the wisdomH2451 to countH5608 the cloudsH7834?Or whoH4310 can tiltH7901 the water jarsH5035 of the heavensH806438when the dustH6083 hardensH3332 into a massH4165and the clods of earthH7263 stick togetherH1692?

39Can you huntH6679 the preyH2964 for a lionessH3833or satisfyH4390 the hungerH2416 of young lionsH371540whenH3588 they crouchH7817 in their densH4585and lieH3427 inH3926 waitH695 in the thicketH5521?41WhoH4310 providesH3559 foodH6718 for the ravenH6158whenH3588 its youngH3206 cry outH7768 toH410 GodH413as they wander aboutH8582 for lack ofH1097 foodH400?

1. Job 38:2 Cited in Job 42:3 ↩
2. Job 38:3 Hebrew gird up your loins ↩
3. Job 38:3 Cited in Job 42:4 ↩
4. Job 38:6 Or who set its core in place ↩
5. Job 38:32 Or bring forth Mazzaroth in its season ↩
6. Job 38:32 Or Leo or Arcturus ↩
7. Job 38:36 Or Who has given the ibis wisdom, that is, wisdom about the flooding of the Nile ↩