38Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2Â Who is this that darkeneth counsel
By words without knowledge?
3Â Gird up now thy loins like a man;
For I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
4Â Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Declare, [a]if thou hast understanding.
5 Who determined the measures thereof, [b]if thou knowest?
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 Whereupon were the [c]foundations thereof [d]fastened?
Or who laid the corner-stone thereof,
7Â When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 Or who shut up the sea with doors,
When it brake forth, [e]as if it had issued out of the womb;
9Â When I made clouds the garment thereof,
And thick darkness a swaddling-band for it,
10 And [f]marked out for it my bound,
And set bars and doors,
11Â And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further;
And here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began,
And caused the dayspring to know its place;
13Â That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?
14Â It is changed as clay under the seal;
And all things stand forth [g]as a garment:
15Â And from the wicked their light is withholden,
And the high arm is broken.
16Â Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?
Or hast thou walked in the [h]recesses of the deep?
17Â Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee?
Or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?
18Â Hast thou comprehended the earth in its breadth?
Declare, if thou knowest it all.
19Â Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
20Â That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof,
And that thou shouldest discern the paths to the house thereof?
21Â Doubtless, thou knowest, for thou wast then born,
And the number of thy days is great!
22Â Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow,
Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
23Â Which I have reserved against the time of trouble,
Against the day of battle and war?
24Â [i]By what way is the light parted,
Or the east wind scattered upon the earth?
25Â Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood,
Or the way for the lightning of the thunder;
26Â To cause it to rain on a land where no man is;
On the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
27 To satisfy the waste and desolate ground,
And to cause the [j]tender grass to spring forth?
28Â Hath the rain a father?
Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
29Â Out of whose womb came the ice?
And the hoary frost of heaven, who hath [k]gendered it?
30 The waters [l]hide themselves and become like stone,
And the face of the deep [m]is frozen.
31 Canst thou bind the [n]cluster of the Pleiades,
Or loose the bands of Orion?
32 Canst thou lead forth [o]the Mazzaroth in their season?
Or canst thou guide the Bear with her [p]train?
33Â Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens?
Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth?
34Â Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds,
That abundance of waters may cover thee?
35Â Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go,
And say unto thee, Here we are?
36 Who hath put wisdom in the [q]inward parts?
Or who hath given understanding to the [r]mind?
37Â Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can [s]pour out the bottles of heaven,
38Â When the dust runneth into a mass,
And the clods cleave fast together?
39Â Canst thou hunt the prey for the lioness,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40Â When they couch in their dens,
And abide in the covert to lie in wait?
41Â Who provideth for the raven his prey,
When his young ones cry unto God,
And wander for lack of food?
39Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth?
Or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
2Â Canst thou number the months that they fulfil?
Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
3Â They bow themselves, they bring forth their young,
They cast out their pains.
4Â Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field;
They go forth, and [t]return not again.
5Â Who hath sent out the wild ass free?
Or who hath loosed the bonds of the swift ass,
6Â Whose home I have made the wilderness,
And the salt land his dwelling-place?
7Â He scorneth the tumult of the city,
Neither heareth he the shoutings of the [u]driver.
8Â The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searcheth after every green thing.
9Â Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee?
Or will he abide by thy crib?
10Â Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow?
Or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
11Â Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great?
Or wilt thou leave to him thy labor?
12Â Wilt thou confide in him, that he will bring home thy seed,
And gather the grain of thy threshing-floor?
13Â The wings of the ostrich wave proudly;
But are they the pinions and plumage of [v]love?
14Â For she leaveth her eggs on the earth,
And warmeth them in the dust,
15Â And forgetteth that the foot may crush them,
Or that the wild beast may trample them.
16 She [w]dealeth hardly with her young ones, as if they were not hers:
Though her labor be in vain, she is without fear;
17 Because God hath [x]deprived her of wisdom,
Neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
18 What time she [y]lifteth up herself on high,
She scorneth the horse and his rider.
19 Hast thou given the horse his might?
Hast thou clothed his neck with the [z]quivering mane?
20Â Hast thou made him to leap as a locust?
The glory of his snorting is terrible.
21Â [aa]He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength:
He goeth out to meet [ab]the armed men.
22Â He mocketh at fear, and is not dismayed;
Neither turneth he back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattleth [ac]against him,
The flashing spear and the javelin.
24Â He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage;
Neither [ad]believeth he that it is the voice of the trumpet.
25 As oft as the trumpet soundeth he saith, Aha!
And he smelleth the battle afar off,
The thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
And stretcheth her wings toward the south?
27Â Is it at thy command that the eagle mounteth up,
And maketh her nest on high?
28Â On the cliff she dwelleth, and maketh her home,
Upon the point of the cliff, and the stronghold.
29Â From thence she spieth out the prey;
Her eyes behold it afar off.
30Â Her young ones also suck up blood:
And where the slain are, there is she.
The Lord said to Job
40 Moreover Jehovah answered Job, and said,
2Â Shall he that cavilleth contend with the Almighty?
He that argueth with God, let him answer it.
3Â Then Job answered Jehovah, and said,
4Â Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer thee?
I lay my hand upon my mouth.
5Â Once have I spoken, and I will not answer;
Yea, twice, but I will proceed no further.
6Â Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
7Â Gird up thy loins now like a man:
I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
8Â Wilt thou even annul my judgment?
Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be justified?
9Â Or hast thou an arm like God?
And canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
10Â Deck thyself now with excellency and dignity;
And array thyself with honor and majesty.
11Â Pour forth the overflowings of thine anger;
And look upon every one that is proud, and abase him.
12 Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low;
And tread down the wicked where they stand.
13Â Hide them in the dust together;
Bind their faces in the hidden place.
14Â Then will I also confess of thee
That thine own right hand can save thee.
15 Behold now, [ae]behemoth, which I made [af]as well as thee;
He eateth grass as an ox.
16Â Lo now, his strength is in his loins,
And his force is in the muscles of his belly.
17Â He moveth his tail like a cedar:
The sinews of his thighs are knit together.
18 His bones are as tubes of brass;
His [ag]limbs are like bars of iron.
19Â He is the chief of the ways of God:
He only that made him giveth him his sword.
20Â Surely the mountains bring him forth food,
Where all the beasts of the field do play.
21Â He lieth under the lotus-trees,
In the covert of the reed, and the fen.
22Â The lotus-trees cover him with their shade;
The willows of the brook compass him about.
23 Behold, if a river [ah]overflow, he trembleth not;
He is confident, though a Jordan swell even to his mouth.
24Â Shall any take him when he is on the watch,
Or pierce through his nose with a snare?
41 Canst thou draw out [ai]leviathan with a fishhook?
Or press down his tongue with a cord?
2 Canst thou put [aj]a rope into his nose?
Or pierce his jaw through with a [ak]hook?
3Â Will he make many supplications unto thee?
Or will he speak soft words unto thee?
4Â Will he make a covenant with thee,
That thou shouldest take him for a servant for ever?
5Â Wilt thou play with him as with a bird?
Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
6 Will the bands of fishermen make traffic of him?
Will they part him among the merchants?
7Â Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons,
Or his head with fish-spears?
8Â Lay thy hand upon him;
Remember the battle, and do so no more.
9Â Behold, the hope of him is in vain:
Will not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
10Â None is so fierce that he dare stir him up;
Who then is he that can stand before me?
11Â Who hath first given unto me, that I should repay him?
Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
12Â I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,
Nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.
13 Who can [al]strip off his outer garment?
Who shall come within his jaws?
14Â Who can open the doors of his face?
[am]Round about his teeth is terror.
15 His[an]strong scales are his pride,
Shut up together as with a close seal.
16Â One is so near to another,
That no air can come between them.
17Â They are joined one to another;
They stick together, so that they cannot be sundered.
18Â His sneezings flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19Â Out of his mouth go burning torches,
And sparks of fire leap forth.
20Â Out of his nostrils a smoke goeth,
As of a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21Â His breath kindleth coals,
And a flame goeth forth from his mouth.
22Â In his neck abideth strength,
And terror danceth before him.
23Â The flakes of his flesh are joined together:
They are firm upon him; they cannot be moved.
24Â His heart is as firm as a stone;
Yea, firm as the nether millstone.
25Â When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid:
By reason of consternation they are beside themselves.
26Â If one lay at him with the sword, it cannot avail;
Nor the spear, the dart, nor the [ao]pointed shaft.
27Â He counteth iron as straw,
And brass as rotten wood.
28 The [ap]arrow cannot make him flee:
Sling-stones are turned with him into stubble.
29Â Clubs are counted as stubble:
He laugheth at the rushing of the javelin.
30 His underparts are like sharp potsherds:
He spreadeth as it were a threshing-wain upon the mire.
31Â He maketh the deep to boil like a pot:
He maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
32Â He maketh a path to shine after him;
One would think the deep to be hoary.
33Â Upon earth there is not his like,
That is made without fear.
34Â He beholdeth everything that is high:
He is king over all the sons of pride.
42Â Then Job answered Jehovah, and said,
2Â I know that thou canst do all things,
And that no purpose of thine can be restrained.
3Â Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge?
Therefore have I uttered that which I understood not,
Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
4Â Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak;
I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
5Â I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear;
But now mine eye seeth thee:
6 Wherefore I [aq]abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.
7 And it was so, that, after Jehovah had spoken these words unto Job, Jehovah said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. 8 Now therefore, take unto you seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt-offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept, that I deal not with you after your folly; for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as Jehovah commanded them: and Jehovah accepted Job.
10 And Jehovah turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: and Jehovah gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him concerning all the evil that Jehovah had brought upon him: every man also gave him a [ar]piece of money, and every one a ring of gold. 12 So Jehovah blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: and he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first, Jemimah; and the name of the second, Keziah; and the name of the third, Keren-happuch. 15 And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. 16 And after this Job lived a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations. 17 So Job died, being old and full of days.
Footnotes
- Job 38:4 Hebrew if thou knowest understanding.
- Job 38:5 Or, seeing
- Job 38:6 Hebrew sockets.
- Job 38:6 Hebrew made to sink.
- Job 38:8 Or, and issued
- Job 38:10 Hebrew brake.
- Job 38:14 Or, as in a garment
- Job 38:16 Or, search
- Job 38:24 Or, Which is the way to the place where the light is etc.
- Job 38:27 Or, greensward
- Job 38:29 Or, given it birth
- Job 38:30 Or, are congealed like stone
- Job 38:30 Hebrew cohereth.
- Job 38:31 Or, chain Or, sweet influences
- Job 38:32 Or, the signs of the Zodiac
- Job 38:32 Hebrew sons.
- Job 38:36 Or, dark clouds
- Job 38:36 Or, meteor
- Job 38:37 Hebrew cause to lie down.
- Job 39:4 Or, return not unto them
- Job 39:7 Or, taskmaster
- Job 39:13 Or, a stork
- Job 39:16 Or, is hardened against
- Job 39:17 Hebrew made her to forget wisdom.
- Job 39:18 Or, rouseth herself up to flight
- Job 39:19 Hebrew shaking.
- Job 39:21 Hebrew They paw.
- Job 39:21 Or, the weapons
- Job 39:23 Or, upon
- Job 39:24 Or, standeth he still at etc.
- Job 40:15 That is, the hippopotamus.
- Job 40:15 Hebrew with.
- Job 40:18 Or, ribs
- Job 40:23 Or, be violent
- Job 41:1 That is, the crocodile.
- Job 41:2 Hebrew a rope of rushes.
- Job 41:2 Or, spike
- Job 41:13 Hebrew uncover the face of his garment.
- Job 41:14 Or, His teeth are terrible round about
- Job 41:15 Or, courses of scales. Hebrew channels of shields.
- Job 41:26 Or, coat of mail
- Job 41:28 Hebrew son of the bow.
- Job 42:6 Or, loathe my words
- Job 42:11 Hebrew kesitah.
Who Trusted God Through Trials? Job 38-42
When life gets hard, it can feel like God is punishing you. Whether your trial is personal or a natural part of life, you can face feelings of anger, frustration or despair.
It’s easy to forget that God has good reasons for allowing trials and suffering in our lives. We may not always understand why, but we do know that He loves us and is a faithful Father who cares about our struggles.
Despite the hard times, it’s important to remember that He will provide for you and keep you safe through it all. When you trust in Him, you can rest knowing that He is with you every step of the way.
The Bible teaches that we can trust in God through the good and the bad. He will guide our steps, delight in our lives and protect us from the enemy.
1. Those who Trust God Through Trials will be strong and have a secure foundation in their walk with Christ (James 5:8-11).
2. They will experience the blessings of trusting God through their trials, including a special crown for their faithfulness in the future (1 Peter 5:4;).
3. The book of Job shows that God will deliver His people from trouble even when it seems as though they are lost and without hope.
In the end, we can look back and see that the Lord is always at work in our lives. Those who don’t trust God will lose their strength, while those who do trust in Him will find a new perspective on the trials they have been through and live with more confidence in their faith.
