Job 38 Parallel Bible Translations

Job 38 ▼
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Smith's Literal Translation
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1 And Jehovah will answer Job from the whirlwind, and he will say, Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:
2 Who this darkening counsel in words without knowledge? “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?
3 Gird now thy loins as a man; and I will ask thee, and make thou known to me. Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.
4 Where wert thou in my founding the earth? Announce, if thou knewest understanding. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who set its measures, if thou shalt know? or who stretched the line upon it? Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 Upon what were its bases impressed? or who placed its corner-stone? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—
7 In the rejoicing together of the stars of morning, and all the sons of God will shout for joy? when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?
8 And he will hedge in the sea with doors in its breaking forth, going forth from the womb. “Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb,
9 In my making the cloud its garment, and darkness its bandage: when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness,
10 And I shall break upon it my law, and I shall set bars and doors; and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place,
11 And saying, Even to this shalt thou come, and thou shalt not add: and here in the pride of thy waves, stand thou. and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’? when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’?
12 In thy days didst thou command the morning? and didst thou make the dawning know its place? “Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place,
13 To take hold upon the wings of the earth, and the unjust shall be shaken out of it? that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?
14 It shall be turned as clay to the seal; and they shall stand as clothing. It is changed like clay under the seal, and its features stand out like a garment. The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment.
15 And their light shall be withheld from the unjust, and the high arm shall be broken. From the wicked their light is withheld, and their uplifted arm is broken. The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken.
16 Didst thou go even to the fountains of the sea? and didst thou go about in searching the depth? “Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Were the gates of death uncovered to thee? and shalt thou see the gates of the shadow of death? Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?
18 Wilt thou consider even to the breadth of the earth? Announce if thou knewest all of it. Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this. Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this.
19 Where the way light shall dwell? and darkness, where its place? “Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, “What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside?
20 That thou shalt take it to its bound, and that thou shalt understand the beaten paths of its house? that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home? Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths to their dwellings?
21 Knewest thou? for shalt thou then be born, and the number of thy days great? You know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so many years!
22 Didst thou come into the treasures of snow? and shalt thou see the treasures of hail, “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail,
23 Which I kept back for the time of straits, for the day of encounter and war? which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle?
24 Where that way the light will divide, it will scatter the east wind upon the earth? What is the way to the place where the light is distributed, or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth? What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?
25 Who divided a channel for the overflowing, and a way for the lightning of the voices? “Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain and a way for the thunderbolt, Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm,
26 To cause it to rain upon the earth, not a man; the wilderness not a man in it? to bring rain on a land where no man is, on the desert in which there is no man, to water a land where no one lives, an uninhabited desert,
27 To satisfy the desolation and burning, and to cause the springing up of the finding of the tender grass? to satisfy the waste and desolate land, and to make the ground sprout with grass? to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass?
28 Is there a father to the rain? or who begat the reservoirs of the dew? “Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew? Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb came forth the ice? and the hoarfrost of the heavens, who brought it forth? From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the frost of heaven? From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens
30 The waters shall be hid as a stone, and the face of the depth will be taken. The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen?
31 Wilt thou bind the bands of the cluster, or wilt thou open the cords of Orion? “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion? “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades? Can you loosen Orion’s belt?
32 Wilt thou bring forth the twelve signs in its time? and the great bear and his sons, wilt thou guide them? Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs?
33 Knewest thou the laws of the heavens? or wilt thou set up its dominion in the earth? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?
34 Wilt thou lift up thy voice to the cloud, and abundance of waters shall cover thee? “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of waters may cover you? “Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water?
35 Shalt thou send lightnings, and shall they go and shall they say to thee, Behold us? Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’? Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who put wisdom in the reins? or who gave understanding to the mind? Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind? Who gives the ibis wisdom or gives the rooster understanding?
37 Who shall number the clouds in wisdom? and who shall cause the bottles of heaven to lie down? Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens, Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens
38 In the pouring out of the dust into a melted mass, and the clods will adhere. when the dust runs into a mass and the clods stick fast together? when the dust becomes hard and the clods of earth stick together?
39 Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? and wilt thou fill up the life of the young lions? “Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions
40 For they will sink down in the dwellings; they will dwell in the thicket to lie in wait. when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in their thicket? when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket?
41 Who will prepare for the raven his food? for his young will cry to God; they will wander without food. Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God for help, and wander about for lack of food? Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?
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