THE BOOK OF
JOB
Job 38 ©
God appears to Job, and reproving his ignorant presumption, He bids him to answer unto His questions, v. 1, etc. He shows how great His majesty is by the works of creation, conservation and government of all things, whereof many instances are given to bring him to humility and true acknowledgment of his failings, 4, etc.
THEN the LORD answered Job out of 1the whirlwind, and said,
Whoais this that 2darkeneth 3counsel by words without knowledge?
4Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and 5answer thou me.
Where wast thou whenb I 6laid the foundations of the earth? declare, 7if thou hast understanding.
Who hath laid the 8measures 9thereof, 10if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the 11line upon it?
Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who 12laid the 13corner stone thereof;
When the 14morning stars sang together, and all 15the sons of God shouted for joy?
Or 16who 17shutc up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the 18womb?
When 19I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
And brake up 20for it my decreed 21place, and set 22bars and doors,
And 23said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here 24shall thy proud 25waves be stayed?
Hast thou 26commanded the morning 27since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know 28his place;
That 29it might take hold of the 30ends of the earth, that the wicked might be 31shaken out of it?
It is turned as 32clay to the seal; and 33they stand as a garment.
And from the wicked their 34light is withholden, and the 35high arm shall be 36broken.
Hast thou entered into the 37springs of the sea? or hast thou walked 38in the search 39of the depth?
Have the 40gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
Hast thou perceived 41the breadth of the earth? 42declare if thou knowest it 43all.
Where is the way 44where 45light dwelleth? and as for 46darkness, where is the place thereof,
That thou shouldest 47take 48it to the 49bound thereof, and that thou shouldest 50know the 51paths to the 52house thereof?
53Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?
Hast thou entered into the 54treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
Which I have reserved against 55the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
By what 56way is the 57light parted, which scattereth the 58east wind upon the earth?
Who hath divided a 59watercourse for the 60overflowing of waters, or 61a way 62for the lightning of thunder;
To cause it to rain on the earth, where 63no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
Tod satisfy 64the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
65Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
Out of whose womb came the ice? and the 66hoarye frost of heaven, who hath genderedf it?
The waters are 67hid as with a stone, and the 68face of the deep 69is frozen.
Canst thou 70bind the sweet influences ofg Pleiades, or loose the 71bands of Orion?
Canst thou bring forth 72Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide 73Arcturus with 74his sons?
Knowesth thou 75the ordinances of heaven? 76canst thou set the 77dominion thereof in the earth?
Canst thou 78lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, 79Here we are?
Whoi hath put wisdom in the 80inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the 81heart?
Who can number 82the clouds in wisdom? or who can 83stay the 84bottles of heaven,
When the 85dust groweth 86into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?
Wilt thou hunt the prey for the 87lion? orj88fill the 89appetite of the young lions,
When they couch in their dens, and abide in the 90covert 91to lie in wait?
Who provideth for thek raven his 92food? when his 93young ones cry 94unto God, they 95wander for lack of meat.