[1] Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
[2] “Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge?
[3] Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
[4] “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.
[5] Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?
[6] To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone,
[7] When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
[8] “Or who shut in the sea with doors, When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
[9] When I made the clouds its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band;
[10] When I fixed My limit for it, And set bars and doors;
[11] When I said, ‘This far you may come, but no farther, And here your proud waves must stop!’
[12] “Have you commanded the morning since your days began, And caused the dawn 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 takes on form like clay under a seal, And stands out like a garment.
[15] From the wicked their light is withheld, And the upraised arm is broken.
[16] “Have you entered the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in search of the depths?
[17] Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
[18] Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.
[19] “Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness, where is its place,
[20] That you may take it to its territory, That you may know the paths to its home?
[21] Do you know it, because you were born then, Or because the number of your days is great?
[22] “Have you entered the treasury of snow, Or have you seen the treasury of hail,
[23] Which I have reserved for the time of trouble, For the day of battle and war?
[24] By what way is light diffused, Or the east wind scattered over the earth?
[25] “Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water, Or a path for the thunderbolt,
[26] To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one, A wilderness in which there is no man;
[27] To satisfy the desolate waste, And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
[28] Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
[29] From whose womb comes the ice? And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
[30] The waters harden like stone, And the surface of the deep is frozen.
[31] “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the belt of Orion?
[32] Can you bring out Mazzaroth in its season? Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs?
[33] Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?
[34] “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That an abundance of water may cover you?
[35] Can you send out lightnings, that they may go, And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?
[36] Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart?
[37] Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
[38] When the dust hardens in clumps, And the clods cling together?
[39] “Can you hunt the prey for the lion, Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
[40] When they crouch in their dens, Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?
[41] Who provides food for the raven, When its young ones cry to God, And wander about for lack of food?