Job 38 אִיּוֹב פרק ל״ח

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Job 38 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   וַיַּעַן־יְהֹוָהand he answered the LORDאֶת־אִיּוֹבJob[מִןout ofהַסְּעָרָה]the whirlwindוַיֹּאמַר׃and said

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

2. 2

   מִיwhoזֶהthisמַחְשִׁיךְis making darkעֵצָהcounselבְמִלִּיןby wordsבְּלִי־דָעַת׃without knowledge

   Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

3. 3

   אֱזׇר־נָאgird up I prayכְגֶבֶרlike a manחֲלָצֶיךָyour loinsוְאֶשְׁאָלְךָand I will ask youוְהוֹדִיעֵנִי׃and declare unto Me

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

4. 4

   אֵיפֹהwhereהָיִיתָyou wereבְּיׇסְדִי־אָרֶץwhen I laid the foundations of the earthהַגֵּדdeclareאִם־יָדַעְתָּif you knowבִינָה׃the understanding

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

5. 5

   מִי־שָׂםwho determinedמְמַדֶּיהָits measurementsכִּיbecauseתֵדָעyou knowאוֹorמִי־נָטָהor who stretchedעָלֶיהָupon itקָּו׃the line

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

6. 6

   עַל־מָהupon whatאֲדָנֶיהָits basesהׇטְבָּעוּwere fastenedאוֹorמִי־יָרָהwho laidאֶבֶןstoneפִּנָּתָהּ׃the corner-stone thereof

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

7. 7

   בְּרׇן־יַחַדwhen sang togetherכּוֹכְבֵיthe stars ofבֹקֶרmorningוַיָּרִיעוּand shouted for joyכׇּל־בְּנֵיall sons ofאֱלֹהִים׃God

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

8. 8

   וַיָּסֶךְor who shut upבִּדְלָתַיִםwith doorsיָםthe seaבְּגִיחוֹwhen it broke forthמֵרֶחֶםfrom the womb ofיֵצֵא׃and issued out

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

9. 9

   בְּשׂוּמִיwhen I madeעָנָןa cloudלְבֻשׁוֹthe garment thereofוַעֲרָפֶלand thick darknessחֲתֻלָּתוֹ׃its swaddling band

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

10. 10

    וָאֶשְׁבֹּרand prescribedעָלָיוfor itחֻקִּיMy decreeוָאָשִׂיםand I setבְּרִיחַa barוּדְלָתָיִם׃and doors

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

11. 11

    וָאֹמַרand I saidעַד־פֹּהthus farתָבוֹאshall you comeוְלֹאand notתֹסִיףno furtherוּפֹא־יָשִׁיתand here shall be stayedבִּגְאוֹןin the pride ofגַּלֶּיךָ׃your waves

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

12. 12

    הֲמִיָּמֶיךָsince your days beganצִוִּיתָyou commandedבֹּקֶרmorning(ידעתהשחר)[יִדַּעְתָּand caused to knowהַשַּׁחַר]the dayspringמְקֹמוֹ׃its place

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

13. 13

    לֶאֱחֹזto lay holdבְּכַנְפוֹתon the corners ofהָאָרֶץthe earthוְיִנָּעֲרוּand be shakenרְשָׁעִיםwicked menמִמֶּנָּה׃from it

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

14. 14

    תִּתְהַפֵּךְit is changedכְּחֹמֶרas clay underחוֹתָםthe sealוְיִתְיַצְּבוּand they standכְּמוֹlikeלְבוּשׁ׃clothing

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

15. 15

    וְיִמָּנַעbut is withholdenמֵרְשָׁעִיםfrom wicked peopleאוֹרָםtheir lightוּזְרוֹעַand the arm ofרָמָהhighתִּשָּׁבֵר׃is broken

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

16. 16

    הֲבָאתָhave you enteredעַד־נִבְכֵי־יָםuntil the springs of the seaוּבְחֵקֶרor in the recesses ofתְּהוֹםthe deepהִתְהַלָּכְתָּ׃have you walked

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

17. 17

    הֲנִגְלוּhave been revealedלְךָfor youשַׁעֲרֵי־מָוֶתthe gates of deathוְשַׁעֲרֵיand the gates ofצַלְמָוֶתthe shadow of deathתִּרְאֶה׃have you seen

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

18. 18

    הִתְבֹּנַנְתָּhave you surveyedעַד־רַחֲבֵי־אָרֶץunto the breadths of the earthהַגֵּדdeclareאִם־יָדַעְתָּif you knowכֻלָּהּ׃all of it

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

19. 19

    אֵי־זֶהwhere thisהַדֶּרֶךְthe wayיִשְׁכׇּן־אוֹרto the dwelling of lightוְחֹשֶׁךְand darknessאֵי־זֶהwhere thisמְקֹמוֹ׃its place

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

20. 20

    כִּיthatתִקָּחֶנּוּyou will take itאֶל־גְּבוּלוֹto its borderוְכִי־תָבִיןand that you shall understandנְתִיבוֹתpathsבֵּיתוֹ׃the house thereof

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

21. 21

    יָדַעְתָּyou know itכִּי־אָזfor thenתִּוָּלֵדwere you bornוּמִסְפַּרand the number ofיָמֶיךָyour daysרַבִּים׃is great

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

22. 22

    הֲבָאתָhave you enteredאֶל־אֹצְרוֹתthe treasuries ofשָׁלֶגsnowוְאוֹצְרוֹתor the treasuries ofבָּרָדhailתִּרְאֶה׃have you seen

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

23. 23

    אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׂכְתִּיwhich I have kept backלְעֶת־צָרagainst the time of troubleלְיוֹםto dayקְרָבbattleוּמִלְחָמָה׃and war

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

24. 24

    אֵי־זֶהwhere thisהַדֶּרֶךְthe wayיֵחָלֶקis partedאוֹרlightיָפֵץor scatteredקָדִיםthe east windעֲלֵי־אָרֶץ׃on the earth

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

25. 25

    מִי־פִלַּגwho has cleftלַשֶּׁטֶףfor the waterfloodתְּעָלָהa channelוְדֶרֶךְand the way ofלַחֲזִיזfor the lightning ofקֹלוֹת׃thunders

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

26. 26

    לְהַמְטִירto send rainעַל־אֶרֶץon a landלֹא־אִישׁwhere no man isמִדְבָּרwilderness ofלֹא־אָדָםnot manבּוֹ׃in it

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

27. 27

    לְהַשְׂבִּיעַto satisfyשֹׁאָהthe desolateוּמְשֹׁאָהand waste groundוּלְהַצְמִיחַand to cause to sproutמֹצָאthe bud ofדֶשֶׁא׃the tender herb

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

28. 28

    הֲיֵשׁ־לַמָּטָרis there for the rainאָבfatherאוֹorמִי־הוֹלִידwho has begottenאֶגְלֵי־טָל׃the drops of dew

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

29. 29

    מִבֶּטֶןfrom the wombמִיwhoיָצָאhe went forthהַקָּרַחthe iceוּכְפֹרand the frost ofשָׁמַיִםthe heavensמִיwhoיְלָדוֹ׃has gendered it

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

30. 30

    כָּאֶבֶןlike stoneמַיִםwaterיִתְחַבָּאוּare congealedוּפְנֵיand the face ofתְהוֹםthe deepיִתְלַכָּדוּ׃is frozen

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

31. 31

    הַתְקַשֵּׁרwill you bind onמַעֲדַנּוֹתthe chains ofכִּימָהPleiadesאוֹ־מֹשְׁכוֹתor the bands ofכְּסִילOrionתְּפַתֵּחַ׃will you loosen

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

32. 32

    הֲתֹצִיאwill you lead outמַזָּרוֹתthe Mazzarothבְּעִתּוֹin their seasonוְעַיִשׁand the Bearעַל־בָּנֶיהָupon her sonsתַנְחֵם׃can you guide

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

33. 33

    הֲיָדַעְתָּknow youחֻקּוֹתthe decrees ofשָׁמָיִםof the heavensאִם־תָּשִׂיםcan you establishמִשְׁטָרוֹthe dominion thereofבָאָרֶץ׃in the land

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

34. 34

    הֲתָרִיםcan you lift upלָעָבto the cloudsקוֹלֶךָyour voiceוְשִׁפְעַת־מַיִםand abundance of waterתְּכַסֶּךָּ׃it covers you

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

35. 35

    הַתְשַׁלַּחwill you send forthבְּרָקִיםlightningsוְיֵלֵכוּand they may goוְיֹאמְרוּand shall sayלְךָfor youהִנֵּנוּ׃here are we

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

36. 36

    מִי־שָׁתwho he has appointedבַּטֻּחוֹתin the inner partsחׇכְמָהwisdomאוֹorמִי־נָתַןwho gaveלַשֶּׂכְוִיto the mindבִינָה׃understanding

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

37. 37

    מִי־יְסַפֵּרwho can numberשְׁחָקִיםcloudsבְּחׇכְמָהby wisdomוְנִבְלֵיor the bottles ofשָׁמַיִםthe heavensמִיwhoיַשְׁכִּיב׃can pour out

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

38. 38

    בְּצֶקֶתwhen runsעָפָרdustלַמּוּצָקinto a massוּרְגָבִיםand the clodsיְדֻבָּקוּ׃they are joined together

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

39. 39

    הֲתָצוּדwill you huntלְלָבִיאfor the lionessטָרֶףpreyוְחַיַּתor the appetite ofכְּפִירִיםyoung lionsתְּמַלֵּא׃satisfy

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

40. 40

    כִּי־יָשֹׁחוּwhen they will crouchבַמְּעוֹנוֹתin the densיֵשְׁבוּand abideבַסֻּכָּהin the covertלְמוֹ־אָרֶב׃for a lair

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

41. 41

    מִיwhoיָכִיןpreparesלָעֹרֵבfor the ravenצֵידוֹhis preyכִּי־יְלָדָוwhen his young onesאֶל־אֵלunto Godיְשַׁוֵּעוּthey will cry for helpיִתְעוּand wanderלִבְלִי־אֹכֶל׃for lack of food

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