1 And the Lord made answer to Job out of the storm-wind, and said,

1 וַיַּֽעַן־יְהוָ֣ה אֶת־אִ֭יֹּוב מִן^m הַסְּעָרָה מִ֥ן׀ הַסְּעָרָ֗ה וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

2 Who is this who makes the purpose of God dark by words without knowledge?

2 מִ֤י זֶ֨ה׀ מַחְשִׁ֖יךְ עֵצָ֥ה בְמִלִּ֗ין³ בְּֽלִי־דָֽעַת׃

3 Get your strength together like a man of war; I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.

3 אֱזָר־נָ֣א כְגֶ֣בֶר חֲלָצֶ֑יךָ וְ֝אֶשְׁאָלְךָ֗ וְהֹודִיעֵֽנִי׃

4 Where were you when I put the earth on its base? Say, if you have knowledge.

4 אֵיפֹ֣ה הָ֭יִיתָ בְּיָסְדִי־אָ֑רֶץ הַ֝גֵּ֗ד אִם־יָדַ֥עְתָּ בִינָֽה׃

5 By whom were its measures fixed? Say, if you have wisdom; or by whom was the line stretched out over it?

5 מִי־שָׂ֣ם מְ֭מַדֶּיהָ כִּ֣י תֵדָ֑ע אֹ֤ו מִֽי־נָטָ֖ה עָלֶ֣יהָ קָּֽו׃

6 On what were its pillars based, or who put down its angle-stone,

6 עַל־מָ֭ה אֲדָנֶ֣יהָ הָטְבָּ֑עוּ אֹ֥ו מִֽי־יָ֝רָ֗ה אֶ֣בֶן פִּנָּתָֽהּ׃

7 When the morning stars made songs together, and all the sons of the gods gave cries of joy?

7 בְּרָן־יַ֭חַד כֹּ֣וכְבֵי בֹ֑קֶר וַ֝יָּרִ֗יעוּ כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י אֱלֹהִֽים׃

8 Or where were you when the sea came to birth, pushing out from its secret place;

8 וַיָּ֣סֶךְ בִּדְלָתַ֣יִם יָ֑ם בְּ֝גִיחֹ֗ו מֵרֶ֥חֶם יֵצֵֽא׃

9 When I made the cloud its robe, and put thick clouds as bands round it,

9 בְּשׂוּמִ֣י עָנָ֣ן לְבֻשֹׁ֑ו וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל חֲתֻלָּתֹֽו׃

10 Ordering a fixed limit for it, with locks and doors;

10 וָאֶשְׁבֹּ֣ר עָלָ֣יו חֻקִּ֑י וָֽ֝אָשִׂ֗ים בְּרִ֣יחַ וּדְלָתָֽיִם׃

11 And said, So far you may come, and no farther; and here the pride of your waves will be stopped?

11 וָאֹמַ֗ר עַד־פֹּ֣ה תָ֭בֹוא וְלֹ֣א תֹסִ֑יף וּפֹ֥א־יָ֝שִׁ֗ית בִּגְאֹ֥ון גַּלֶּֽיךָ׃

12 Have you, from your earliest days, given orders to the morning, or made the dawn conscious of its place;

12 הְֽ֭מִיָּמֶיךָ¹ צִוִּ֣יתָ בֹּ֑קֶר יִדַּעְתָּה שַׁחַר יִדַּ֖עְתָּ³ הַשַּׁ֣חַר מְקֹמֹֽו׃

13 So that it might take a grip of the skirts of the earth, shaking all the evil-doers out of it?

13 לֶ֭אֱחֹז בְּכַנְפֹ֣ות הָאָ֑רֶץ וְיִנָּעֲר֖וּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים⁷ מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

14 It is changed like wet earth under a stamp, and is coloured like a robe;

14 תִּ֭תְהַפֵּךְ כְּחֹ֣מֶר חֹותָ֑ם וְ֝יִֽתְיַצְּב֗וּ כְּמֹ֣ו לְבֽוּשׁ׃

15 And from the evil-doers their light is kept back, and the arm of pride is broken.

15 וְיִמָּנַ֣ע מֵרְשָׁעִ֣ים⁷ אֹורָ֑ם וּזְרֹ֥ועַ רָ֝מָ֗ה תִּשָּׁבֵֽר׃

16 Have you come into the springs of the sea, walking in the secret places of the deep?

16 הֲ֭בָאתָ עַד־נִבְכֵי־יָ֑ם וּבְחֵ֥קֶר תְּ֝הֹ֗ום הִתְהַלָּֽכְתָּ׃

17 Have the doors of death been open to you, or have the door-keepers of the dark ever seen you?

17 הֲנִגְל֣וּ לְ֭ךָ שַׁעֲרֵי־מָ֑וֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵ֖י צַלְמָ֣וֶת תִּרְאֶֽה׃

18 Have you taken note of the wide limits of the earth? Say, if you have knowledge of it all.

18 הִ֭תְבֹּנַנְתָּ עַד־רַחֲבֵי־אָ֑רֶץ הַ֝גֵּ֗ד אִם־יָדַ֥עְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ׃

19 Which is the way to the resting-place of the light, and where is the store-house of the dark;

19 אֵי־זֶ֣ה הַ֭דֶּרֶךְ יִשְׁכָּן־אֹ֑ור וְ֝חֹ֗שֶׁךְ אֵי־זֶ֥ה מְקֹמֹֽו׃

20 So that you might take it to its limit, guiding it to its house?

20 כִּ֣י תִ֭קָּחֶנּוּ אֶל־גְּבוּלֹ֑ו וְכִֽי־תָ֝בִ֗ין³ נְתִיבֹ֥ות בֵּיתֹֽו׃

21 No doubt you have knowledge of it, for then you had come to birth, and the number of your days is great.

21 יָ֭דַעְתָּ כִּי־אָ֣ז תִּוָּלֵ֑ד וּמִסְפַּ֖ר יָמֶ֣יךָ רַבִּֽים׃

22 Have you come into the secret place of snow, or have you seen the store-houses of the ice-drops,

22 הֲ֭בָאתָ אֶל־אֹצְרֹ֣ות שָׁ֑לֶג וְאֹצְרֹ֖ות בָּרָ֣ד תִּרְאֶֽה׃

23 Which I have kept for the time of trouble, for the day of war and fighting?

23 אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׂ֥כְתִּי לְעֶת־צָ֑ר לְיֹ֥ום קְ֝רָ֗ב וּמִלְחָמָֽה׃

24 Which is the way to the place where the wind is measured out, and the east wind sent out over the earth?

24 אֵי־זֶ֣ה הַ֭דֶּרֶךְ יֵחָ֣לֶק אֹ֑ור יָפֵ֖ץ קָדִ֣ים עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

25 By whom has the way been cut for the flowing of the rain, and the flaming of the thunder;

25 מִֽי־פִלַּ֣ג לַשֶּׁ֣טֶף תְּעָלָ֑ה וְ֝דֶ֗רֶךְ לַחֲזִ֥יז קֹלֹֽות׃

26 Causing rain to come on a land where no man is living, on the waste land which has no people;

26 לְ֭הַמְטִיר עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ לֹא־אִ֑ישׁ מִ֝דְבָּ֗ר לֹא־אָדָ֥ם בֹּֽו׃

27 To give water to the land where there is waste and destruction, and to make the dry land green with young grass?

27 לְהַשְׂבִּ֣יעַ שֹׁ֖אָה וּמְשֹׁאָ֑ה וּ֝לְהַצְמִ֗יחַ מֹ֣צָא דֶֽשֶׁא׃

28 Has the rain a father? or who gave birth to the drops of night mist?

28 הֲיֵשׁ־לַמָּטָ֥ר אָ֑ב אֹ֥ו מִי־הֹ֝ולִ֗יד אֶגְלֵי־טָֽל׃

29 Out of whose body came the ice? and who gave birth to the cold mist of heaven?

29 מִבֶּ֣טֶן מִ֭י יָצָ֣א הַקָּ֑רַח וּכְפֹ֥ר מַיִם³ מִ֣י יְלָדֹֽו׃

30 The waters are joined together, hard as a stone, and the face of the deep is covered.

30 כָּ֭אֶבֶן מַ֣יִם יִתְחַבָּ֑אוּ וּפְנֵ֥י תְ֝הֹ֗ום יִתְלַכָּֽדוּ׃

31 Are the bands of the Pleiades fixed by you, or are the cords of Orion made loose?

31 הַֽ֭תְקַשֵּׁר מַעֲדַנֹּ֣ות כִּימָ֑ה אֹֽו־מֹשְׁכֹ֖ות כְּסִ֣יל תְּפַתֵּֽחַ׃

32 Do you make Mazzaroth come out in its right time, or are the Bear and its children guided by you?

32 הֲתֹצִ֣יא מַזָּרֹ֣ות בְּעִתֹּ֑ו וְ֝עַ֗יִשׁ עַל־בָּנֶ֥יהָ תַנְחֵֽם׃

33 Have you knowledge of the laws of the heavens? did you give them rule over the earth?

33 הֲ֭יָדַעְתָּ חֻקֹּ֣ות שָׁמָ֑יִם אִם־תָּשִׂ֖ים מִשְׁטָרֹ֣ו בָאָֽרֶץ׃

34 Is your voice sent up to the cloud, so that you may be covered by the weight of waters?

34 הֲתָרִ֣ים לָעָ֣ב קֹולֶ֑ךָ וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַ֥יִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃

35 Do you send out the thunder-flames, so that they may go, and say to you, Here we are?

35 הַֽתְשַׁלַּ֣ח בְּרָקִ֣ים וְיֵלֵ֑כוּ וְיֹאמְר֖וּ לְךָ֣ הִנֵּֽנוּ׃

36 Who has put wisdom in the high clouds, or given knowledge to the lights of the north?

36 מִישָ֭־ת בַּטֻּחֹ֣ות חָכְמָ֑ה אֹ֤ו מִֽי־נָתַ֖ן לַשֶּׂ֣כְוִי בִינָֽה׃

37 By whose wisdom are the clouds numbered, or the water-skins of the heavens turned to the earth,

37 מִֽי־יְסַפֵּ֣ר שְׁחָקִ֣ים בְּחָכְמָ֑ה וְנִבְלֵ֥י מַ֗יִם מִ֣י יַשְׁכִּֽיב׃

38 When the earth becomes hard as metal, and is joined together in masses?

38 בְּצֶ֣קֶת עָ֭פָר לַמּוּצָ֑ק וּרְגָבִ֥ים יְדֻבָּֽקוּ׃