Job 38

וַיַּֽעַן־יְהוָ֣ה אֶת־אִ֭יּוֹב (מנ) (הסערה) [מִ֥ן ׀הַסְּעָרָ֗ה] וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

מִ֤י זֶ֨ה ׀ מַחְשִׁ֖יךְ עֵצָ֥ה בְמִלִּ֗ין בְּֽלִי־דָֽעַת׃

“Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?

Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

אֱזָר־נָ֣א כְגֶ֣בֶר חֲלָצֶ֑יךָ וְ֝אֶשְׁאָלְךָ֗ וְהוֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃

Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.

Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

אֵיפֹ֣ה הָ֭יִיתָ בְּיָסְדִי־אָ֑רֶץ הַ֝גֵּ֗ד אִם־יָדַ֥עְתָּ בִינָֽה׃

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

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

מִי־שָׂ֣ם מְ֭מַדֶּיהָ כִּ֣י תֵדָ֑ע א֤וֹ מִֽי־נָטָ֖ה עָלֶ֣יהָ קָּֽו׃

Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched a measuring line across it?

Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

עַל־מָ֭ה אֲדָנֶ֣יהָ הָטְבָּ֑עוּ א֥וֹ מִֽי־יָ֝רָ֗ה אֶ֣בֶן פִּנָּתָֽהּ׃

On what were its foundations set, or who laid its cornerstone,

Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

בְּרָן־יַ֭חַד כּ֣וֹכְבֵי בֹ֑קֶר וַ֝יָּרִ֗יעוּ כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י אֱלֹהִֽים׃

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

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

וַיָּ֣סֶךְ בִּדְלָתַ֣יִם יָ֑ם בְּ֝גִיח֗וֹ מֵרֶ֥חֶם יֵצֵֽא׃

Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb,

Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

בְּשׂוּמִ֣י עָנָ֣ן לְבֻשׁ֑וֹ וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל חֲתֻלָּתֽוֹ׃

when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its blanket,

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

וָאֶשְׁבֹּ֣ר עָלָ֣יו חֻקִּ֑י וָֽ֝אָשִׂ֗ים בְּרִ֣יחַ וּדְלָתָֽיִם׃

when I fixed its boundaries and set in place its bars and doors,

And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,

וָאֹמַ֗ר עַד־פֹּ֣ה תָ֭בוֹא וְלֹ֣א תֹסִ֑יף וּפֹ֥א־יָ֝שִׁ֗ית בִּגְא֥וֹן גַּלֶּֽיךָ׃

and I declared: ‘You may come this far, but no farther; here your proud waves must stop’?

And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

הְֽ֭מִיָּמֶיךָ צִוִּ֣יתָ בֹּ֑קֶר (ידעתה) (שחר) [יִדַּ֖עְתָּה הַשַּׁ֣חַר] מְקֹמֽוֹ׃

In your days, have you commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place,

Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

לֶ֭אֱחֹז בְּכַנְפ֣וֹת הָאָ֑רֶץ וְיִנָּעֲר֖וּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

that it might spread to the ends of the earth and shake the wicked out of it?

That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

תִּ֭תְהַפֵּךְ כְּחֹ֣מֶר חוֹתָ֑ם וְ֝יִֽתְיַצְּב֗וּ כְּמ֣וֹ לְבֽוּשׁ׃

The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its hills stand out like the folds of a garment.

It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.

וְיִמָּנַ֣ע מֵרְשָׁעִ֣ים אוֹרָ֑ם וּזְר֥וֹעַ רָ֝מָ֗ה תִּשָּׁבֵֽר׃

Light is withheld from the wicked, and their upraised arm is broken.

And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.

הֲ֭בָאתָ עַד־נִבְכֵי־יָ֑ם וּבְחֵ֥קֶר תְּ֝ה֗וֹם הִתְהַלָּֽכְתָּ׃

Have you journeyed to the vents of the sea or walked in the trenches of the deep?

Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

הֲנִגְל֣וּ לְ֭ךָ שַׁעֲרֵי־מָ֑וֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵ֖י צַלְמָ֣וֶת תִּרְאֶֽה׃

Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?

Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

הִ֭תְבֹּנַנְתָּ עַד־רַחֲבֵי־אָ֑רֶץ הַ֝גֵּ֗ד אִם־יָדַ֥עְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ׃

Have you surveyed the extent of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.

Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.

אֵי־זֶ֣ה הַ֭דֶּרֶךְ יִשְׁכָּן־א֑וֹר וְ֝חֹ֗שֶׁךְ אֵי־זֶ֥ה מְקֹמֽוֹ׃

Where is the way to the home of light? Do you know where darkness resides,

Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,

כִּ֣י תִ֭קָּחֶנּוּ אֶל־גְּבוּל֑וֹ וְכִֽי־תָ֝בִ֗ין נְתִיב֥וֹת בֵּיתֽוֹ׃

so you can lead it back to its border? Do you know the paths to its home?

That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

יָ֭דַעְתָּ כִּי־אָ֣ז תִּוָּלֵ֑ד וּמִסְפַּ֖ר יָמֶ֣יךָ רַבִּֽים׃

Surely you know, for you were already born! And the number of your days is great!

Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?

הֲ֭בָאתָ אֶל־אֹצְר֣וֹת שָׁ֑לֶג וְאֹצְר֖וֹת בָּרָ֣ד תִּרְאֶֽה׃

Have you entered the storehouses of snow or observed the storehouses of hail,

Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׂ֥כְתִּי לְעֶת־צָ֑ר לְי֥וֹם קְ֝רָ֗ב וּמִלְחָמָֽה׃

which I hold in reserve for times of trouble, for the day of war and battle?

Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

אֵי־זֶ֣ה הַ֭דֶּרֶךְ יֵחָ֣לֶק א֑וֹר יָפֵ֖ץ קָדִ֣ים עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

In which direction is the lightning dispersed, or the east wind scattered over the earth?

By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

מִֽי־פִלַּ֣ג לַשֶּׁ֣טֶף תְּעָלָ֑ה וְ֝דֶ֗רֶךְ לַחֲזִ֥יז קֹלֽוֹת׃

Who cuts a channel for the flood or clears a path for the thunderbolt,

Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;

לְ֭הַמְטִיר עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ לֹא־אִ֑ישׁ מִ֝דְבָּ֗ר לֹא־אָדָ֥ם בּֽוֹ׃

to bring rain on a barren land, on a desert where no man lives,

To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

לְהַשְׂבִּ֣יעַ שֹׁ֭אָה וּמְשֹׁאָ֑ה וּ֝לְהַצְמִ֗יחַ מֹ֣צָא דֶֽשֶׁא׃

to satisfy the parched wasteland and make it sprout with tender grass?

To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

הֲיֵשׁ־לַמָּטָ֥ר אָ֑ב א֥וֹ מִי־ה֝וֹלִ֗יד אֶגְלֵי־טָֽל׃

Does the rain have a father? Who has begotten the drops of dew?

Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

מִבֶּ֣טֶן מִ֭י יָצָ֣א הַקָּ֑רַח וּכְפֹ֥ר שָׁ֝מַיִם מִ֣י יְלָדֽוֹ׃

From whose womb does the ice emerge? Who gives birth to the frost from heaven,

Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

כָּ֭אֶבֶן מַ֣יִם יִתְחַבָּ֑אוּ וּפְנֵ֥י תְ֝ה֗וֹם יִתְלַכָּֽדוּ׃

when the waters become hard as stone and the surface of the deep is frozen?

The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

הַֽ֭תְקַשֵּׁר מַעֲדַנּ֣וֹת כִּימָ֑ה אֽוֹ־מֹשְׁכ֖וֹת כְּסִ֣יל תְּפַתֵּֽחַ׃

Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion?

Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?

הֲתֹצִ֣יא מַזָּר֣וֹת בְּעִתּ֑וֹ וְ֝עַ֗יִשׁ עַל־בָּנֶ֥יהָ תַנְחֵֽם׃

Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear and her cubs?

Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

הֲ֭יָדַעְתָּ חֻקּ֣וֹת שָׁמָ֑יִם אִם־תָּשִׂ֖ים מִשְׁטָר֣וֹ בָאָֽרֶץ׃

Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?

Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

הֲתָרִ֣ים לָעָ֣ב קוֹלֶ֑ךָ וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַ֥יִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃

Can you command the clouds so that a flood of water covers you?

Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

הַֽתְשַׁלַּ֣ח בְּרָקִ֣ים וְיֵלֵ֑כוּ וְיֹאמְר֖וּ לְךָ֣ הִנֵּֽנוּ׃

Can you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?

Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?

מִי־שָׁ֭ת בַּטֻּח֣וֹת חָכְמָ֑ה א֤וֹ מִֽי־נָתַ֖ן לַשֶּׂ֣כְוִי בִינָֽה׃

Who has put wisdom in the heart or given understanding to the mind?

Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?

מִֽי־יְסַפֵּ֣ר שְׁחָקִ֣ים בְּחָכְמָ֑ה וְנִבְלֵ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם מִ֣י יַשְׁכִּֽיב׃

Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Or who can tilt the water jars of the heavens

Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,

בְּצֶ֣קֶת עָ֭פָר לַמּוּצָ֑ק וּרְגָבִ֥ים יְדֻבָּֽקוּ׃

when the dust hardens into a mass and the clods of earth stick together?

When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

הֲתָצ֣וּד לְלָבִ֣יא טָ֑רֶף וְחַיַּ֖ת כְּפִירִ֣ים תְּמַלֵּֽא׃

Can you hunt the prey for a lioness or satisfy the hunger of young lions

Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,

כִּי־יָשֹׁ֥חוּ בַמְּעוֹנ֑וֹת יֵשְׁב֖וּ בַסֻּכָּ֣ה לְמוֹ־אָֽרֶב׃

when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait in the thicket?

When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?

מִ֤י יָכִ֥ין לָעֹרֵ֗ב צֵ֫יד֥וֹ כִּֽי־(ילדו) [יְ֭לָדָיו] אֶל־אֵ֣ל יְשַׁוֵּ֑עוּ יִ֝תְע֗וּ לִבְלִי־אֹֽכֶל׃

Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God as they wander about for lack of food?

Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.