Job 38
King James Version (KJV)
1 Ref Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2 Ref Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Ref Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
4 Ref Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Ref Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 Ref Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7 Ref When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 Ref Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
9 Ref When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
10 Ref And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
11 Ref And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
12 Ref Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
13 Ref That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14 Ref It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.
15 Ref And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.
16 Ref Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
17 Ref Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Ref Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.
19 Ref Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
20 Ref That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?
21 Ref Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?
22 Ref Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
23 Ref Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24 Ref By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?
25 Ref Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
26 Ref To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
27 Ref To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
28 Ref Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
29 Ref Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
30 Ref The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
31 Ref Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
32 Ref Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
33 Ref Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?
34 Ref Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
35 Ref Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, Here we are?
36 Ref Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?
37 Ref Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
38 When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?
39 Ref Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,
40 Ref When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
41 Ref Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
1 Ref And Jehovah answereth Job out of the whirlwind, and saith: --
2 Ref Who `is' this -- darkening counsel, By words without knowledge?
3 Ref Gird, I pray thee, as a man, thy loins, And I ask thee, and cause thou Me to know.
4 Ref Where wast thou when I founded earth? Declare, if thou hast known understanding.
5 Ref Who placed its measures -- if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched out upon it a line?
6 Ref On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who hath cast its corner-stone?
7 Ref In the singing together of stars of morning, And all sons of God shout for joy,
8 Ref And He shutteth up with doors the sea, In its coming forth, from the womb it goeth out.
9 Ref In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band,
10 Ref And I measure over it My statute, And place bar and doors,
11 Ref And say, `Hitherto come thou, and add not, And a command is placed On the pride of thy billows.'
12 Ref Hast thou commanded morning since thy days? Causest thou the dawn to know its place?
13 Ref To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it,
14 Ref It turneth itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed.
15 Ref And withheld from the wicked is their light, And the arm lifted up is broken.
16 Ref Hast thou come in to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Hast thou walked up and down?
17 Ref Revealed to thee were the gates of death? And the gates of death-shade dost thou see?
18 Ref Thou hast understanding, Even unto the broad places of earth! Declare -- if thou hast known it all.
19 Ref Where `is' this -- the way light dwelleth? And darkness, where `is' this -- its place?
20 Ref That thou dost take it unto its boundary, And that thou dost understand The paths of its house.
21 Ref Thou hast known -- for then thou art born And the number of thy days `are' many!
22 Ref Hast thou come in unto the treasure of snow? Yea, the treasures of hail dost thou see?
23 Ref That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle.
24 Ref Where `is' this, the way light is apportioned? It scattereth an east wind over the earth.
25 Ref Who hath divided for the flood a conduit? And a way for the lightning of the voices?
26 Ref To cause `it' to rain on a land -- no man, A wilderness -- no man in it.
27 Ref To satisfy a desolate and waste place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass?
28 Ref Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
29 Ref From whose belly came forth the ice? And the hoar-frost of the heavens, Who hath begotten it?
30 Ref As a stone waters are hidden, And the face of the deep is captured.
31 Ref Dost thou bind sweet influences of Kimah? Or the attractions of Kesil dost thou open?
32 Ref Dost thou bring out Mazzaroth in its season? And Aysh for her sons dost thou comfort?
33 Ref Hast thou known the statutes of heaven? Or dost thou appoint Its dominion in the earth?
34 Ref Dost thou lift up to the cloud thy voice, And abundance of water doth cover thee?
35 Ref Dost thou send out lightnings, and they go And say unto thee, `Behold us?'
36 Ref Who hath put in the inward parts wisdom? Or who hath given To the covered part understanding?
37 Ref Who doth number the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who doth cause to lie down,
38 In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together?
39 Ref Dost thou hunt for a lion prey? And the desire of young lions fulfil?
40 Ref When they bow down in dens -- Abide in a thicket for a covert?
41 Ref Who doth prepare for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry unto God? They wander without food.
Bible in Basic English (BBE)
1 Ref And the Lord made answer to Job out of the storm-wind, and said,
2 Ref Who is this who makes the purpose of God dark by words without knowledge?
3 Ref Get your strength together like a man of war; I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.
4 Ref Where were you when I put the earth on its base? Say, if you have knowledge.
5 Ref By whom were its measures fixed? Say, if you have wisdom; or by whom was the line stretched out over it?
6 Ref On what were its pillars based, or who put down its angle-stone,
7 Ref When the morning stars made songs together, and all the sons of the gods gave cries of joy?
8 Ref Or where were you when the sea came to birth, pushing out from its secret place;
9 Ref When I made the cloud its robe, and put thick clouds as bands round it,
10 Ref Ordering a fixed limit for it, with locks and doors;
11 Ref And said, So far you may come, and no farther; and here the pride of your waves will be stopped?
12 Ref Have you, from your earliest days, given orders to the morning, or made the dawn conscious of its place;
13 Ref So that it might take a grip of the skirts of the earth, shaking all the evil-doers out of it?
14 Ref It is changed like wet earth under a stamp, and is coloured like a robe;
15 Ref And from the evil-doers their light is kept back, and the arm of pride is broken.
16 Ref Have you come into the springs of the sea, walking in the secret places of the deep?
17 Ref Have the doors of death been open to you, or have the door-keepers of the dark ever seen you?
18 Ref Have you taken note of the wide limits of the earth? Say, if you have knowledge of it all.
19 Ref Which is the way to the resting-place of the light, and where is the store-house of the dark;
20 Ref So that you might take it to its limit, guiding it to its house?
21 Ref No doubt you have knowledge of it, for then you had come to birth, and the number of your days is great.
22 Ref Have you come into the secret place of snow, or have you seen the store-houses of the ice-drops,
23 Ref Which I have kept for the time of trouble, for the day of war and fighting?
24 Ref Which is the way to the place where the wind is measured out, and the east wind sent out over the earth?
25 Ref By whom has the way been cut for the flowing of the rain, and the flaming of the thunder;
26 Ref Causing rain to come on a land where no man is living, on the waste land which has no people;
27 Ref To give water to the land where there is waste and destruction, and to make the dry land green with young grass?
28 Ref Has the rain a father? or who gave birth to the drops of night mist?
29 Ref Out of whose body came the ice? and who gave birth to the cold mist of heaven?
30 Ref The waters are joined together, hard as a stone, and the face of the deep is covered.
31 Ref Are the bands of the Pleiades fixed by you, or are the cords of Orion made loose?
32 Ref Do you make Mazzaroth come out in its right time, or are the Bear and its children guided by you?
33 Ref Have you knowledge of the laws of the heavens? did you give them rule over the earth?
34 Ref Is your voice sent up to the cloud, so that you may be covered by the weight of waters?
35 Ref Do you send out the thunder-flames, so that they may go, and say to you, Here we are?
36 Ref Who has put wisdom in the high clouds, or given knowledge to the lights of the north?
37 Ref By whose wisdom are the clouds numbered, or the water-skins of the heavens turned to the earth,
38 When the earth becomes hard as metal, and is joined together in masses?