Job 38:4-39:30 Where were thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou have understanding.

ACV⁽ⁱ⁾ ⁴ Where were thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou have understanding. ⁵ Who determined the measures of it, if thou know? Or who stretched the line upon it? ⁶ Upon what were the foundations of it fastened? Or who laid the cornerstone of it ⁷ 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 broke forth, like it had issued out of the womb, ⁹ when I made clouds the garment of it, and thick darkness a swaddling-band for it, ¹⁰ and marked out for it my bound, and set bars and doors, ¹¹ and said, This far thou shall come, but no farther, and here thy proud waves shall be stayed? ¹² Have thou commanded the morning since thy days began, and caused the dayspring to know its place ¹³ that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? ¹⁴ It is changed as clay under the seal, and all things stand forth as a garment. ¹⁵ And from the wicked their light is withheld, and the high arm is broken. ¹⁶ Have thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or have thou walked in the recesses of the deep? ¹⁷ Have the gates of death been revealed to thee? Or have thou seen the gates of the shadow of death? ¹⁸ Have thou comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if thou know it all. ¹⁹ Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And as for darkness, where is the place of it ²⁰ that thou should take it to the bound of it, and that thou should discern the paths to the house of it? ²¹ Thou know, for thou were born then, and the number of thy days is great! ²² Have thou entered the treasuries of the snow, or have thou seen the treasures of the hail, ²³ which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? ²⁴ By what way is the light divided, or the east wind scattered upon the earth? ²⁵ Who has cleft a channel for the water flood, or the way for the lightning of the thunder, ²⁶ to cause it to rain on a land where no man is, on the wilderness, in which there is no man, ²⁷ to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, and to cause the tender grass to spring forth? ²⁸ Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew? ²⁹ Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoary frost of heaven, who has engendered it? ³⁰ The waters hide themselves and become like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. ³¹ Can thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? ³² Can thou lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? Or can thou guide the Bear with her train? ³³ Do thou know the ordinances of the heavens? Can thou establish the dominion of it on the earth? ³⁴ Can thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee? ³⁵ Can thou send forth lightnings, that they may go, and say to thee, Here we are? ³⁶ Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind? ³⁷ Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven ³⁸ when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods cleave fast together? ³⁹ Can thou hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions ⁴⁰ when they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait? ⁴¹ Who provides for the raven his prey when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food? ³⁹ ¹ Do thou know the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? Or can thou mark when the hinds do calve? ² Can thou number the months that they fulfill? Or do thou know the time when they bring forth? ³ They bow themselves. They bring forth their young. They cast out their pains. ⁴ Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go forth, and return not again. ⁵ Who has sent out the wild donkey free? Or who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey ⁶ whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling-place? ⁷ He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shoutings of the driver. ⁸ The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searches after every green thing. ⁹ Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib? ¹⁰ Can thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee? ¹¹ Will thou trust him because his strength is great? Or will thou leave to him thy labor? ¹² Will thou confide in him that he will bring home thy seed, and gather the grain of thy threshing-floor? ¹³ The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the pinions and plumage of love? ¹⁴ For she leaves her eggs on the ground, and warms them in the dust. ¹⁵ And she forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may trample them. ¹⁶ She deals hardly with her young ones, as if they were not hers. Though her labor be in vain, she is without fear, ¹⁷ because God has deprived her of wisdom, nor has he imparted understanding to her. ¹⁸ The time she lifts up herself on high she scorns the horse and his rider. ¹⁹ Have thou given the horse his might? Have thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane? ²⁰ Have thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome. ²¹ He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men. ²² He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed. Neither does he turn back from the sword. ²³ The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin. ²⁴ He swallows the ground with fierceness and rage, nor does he believe that it is the voice of the trumpet. ²⁵ As often as the trumpet sounds he says, Aha! And he smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting. ²⁶ Is it by thy wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings toward the south? ²⁷ Is it at thy command that the eagle mounts up, and makes her nest on high? ²⁸ She dwells on the cliff, and makes her home upon the point of the cliff and the stronghold. ²⁹ From there she spies out the prey. Her eyes behold it afar off. ³⁰ Her young ones also suck up blood. And where the slain are, there is she.