And they are turned every way by his guidance, that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the circuit of the earth,

He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.

Give ear to this, O Job, and keep quiet in your place; and take note of the wonders worked by God.

Do you know how God directs His clouds
or makes their lightning flash?

“Do you know about the layers of thick clouds [and how they are balanced and poised in the heavens],
The wonderful works of Him who is perfect in knowledge,

How thy garments are warm, when he quieteth the earth by the south wind?

Hast thou helped him to spread out the heavens, which are strong and bright as a looking glass?

Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.

Shall it be told him that I would speak? Or should a man wish that he were swallowed up?

There is no searching out of the Ruler of all: his strength and his judging are great; he is full of righteousness, doing no wrong.

Men do therefore fear him: he respecteth not any that are wise of heart.

“Now gird up your loins like a man,
And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!

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

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

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

when [the] morning stars were singing together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

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

And said, ‘This far you shall come, but no farther;
And here your proud waves shall stop’?

“Since your days began, have you ever commanded the morning,
And caused the dawn to know its place,

To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it,

The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features are dyed like a garment.

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

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

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

so you can lead it back to its border?
Are you familiar with the paths to its home?

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

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

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

By what way is the light parted, Or the east wind scattered upon the earth?

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

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

To give water to the land where there is waste and destruction, and to make the dry land green with young grass?

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

Out of whose womb came the ice? Who hath gendered the coldness of the air?

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

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

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

Hast thou known the statutes of heaven? Or dost thou appoint Its dominion in the earth?

“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
So that an abundance of water will cover you?

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

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

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

When the dust is cast into a clod, and the lumps are bound together?

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

When they crouch in their dens
And lie in wait in their lair?

Who gives in the evening the meat he is searching for, when his young ones are crying to God; when the young lions with loud noise go wandering after their food?

Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?

Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

They are bent down, they give birth to their young, they let loose the fruit of their body.

Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.

Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?

He ranges the mountains that are his pasture to search for anything green.

Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?

Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?

“Will you have faith and depend on him to return your grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?

Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?

And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.

She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;

Do you give strength to the horse? is it by your hand that his neck is clothed with power?

“He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And [in battle] he does not turn back from the sword.

The bow is sounding against him; he sees the shining point of spear and arrow.

“With fierceness and rage he races to devour the ground,
And he does not stand still at the sound of the [war] trumpet.

{Whenever} a horn [sounds], it says, 'Aha!' And it smells [the] battle from a distance-- [the] thunder of [the] commanders and [the] war cry.

“Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
Stretching his wings toward the south [as winter approaches]?

At thy command goeth an eagle up high? Or lifteth he up his nest?

It lives on a cliff where it spends the night;
its stronghold is on a rocky crag.

Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.

Once or twice have I spoken, but I will say no more."

“Now gird up your loins (prepare yourself) like a man,
And I will ask you, and you instruct Me.

“Will you really annul My judgment and set it aside as void?
Will you condemn Me [your God] that you may [appear to] be righteous and justified?

Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.

“Pour out the overflowings of your wrath,
And look at everyone who is proud and make him low.

Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; And tread down the wicked where they stand.

“[If you can do all this, Job, proving your divine power] then I [God] will also praise you and acknowledge
That your own right hand can save you.

He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.

His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.

“He is the first [in magnitude and power] of the works of God;
[Only] He who made him can bring near His sword [to master him].

Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.

He is covered by the branches of the trees; the grasses of the stream are round him.

Shall any take him when he is on the watch, Or pierce through his nose with a snare?

Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?

Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?

Will he make many supplications unto thee? Or will he speak soft words unto thee?

“Will he make a covenant or an arrangement with you?
Will you take him for your servant forever?

Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

Will traders bargain for him
or divide him among the merchants?

Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?

“Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle [with him]; you will not do such [an ill-advised thing] again!

“Behold, your expectation is false;
Will you be laid low even at the sight of him?

“No one is so fierce [and foolhardy] that he dares to stir up Leviathan;
Who then is he who can stand before Me [or dares to contend with Me, the beast’s creator]?

"Or, who hath given me anything afore hand, that I am bound to reward him again? All things under heaven are mine.

"I will not keep quiet [concerning] its limbs or concerning [the] extent of its might and [the] gracefulness of its frame.

Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?

Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.

His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.

One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.

By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.