Job: What Can I Say?
40 Then the Lord said to Job,
2 “Will the faultfinder (A)contend with the Almighty?
Let him who (B)reproves God answer it.”
3 Then Job answered the Lord and said,
4 “Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?
I (C)lay my hand on my mouth.
5 “Once I have spoken, and (D)I will not answer;
Even twice, and I will add nothing more.”
God Questions Job
6 Then the (E)Lord answered Job out of the storm and said,
7 “Now (F)gird up your loins like a man;
I will (G)ask you, and you instruct Me.
8 “Will you really (H)annul My judgment?
Will you (I)condemn Me (J)that you may be justified?
9 “Or do you have an arm like God,
And can you (K)thunder with a voice like His?
10 “(L)Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity,
And clothe yourself with honor and majesty.
11 “Pour out (M)the overflowings of your anger,
And look on everyone who is (N)proud, and make him low.
12 “Look on everyone who is proud, and (O)humble him,
And (P)tread down the wicked [a]where they stand.
13 “(Q)Hide them in the dust together;
Bind [b]them in the hidden place.
14 “Then I will also [c]confess to you,
That your own right hand can save you.
God’s Power Shown in Creatures
15 “Behold now, [d]Behemoth, which (R)I made [e]as well as you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16 “Behold now, his strength in his loins
And his power in the muscles of his belly.
17 “He bends his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are knit together.
18 “His bones are tubes of bronze;
His [f]limbs are like bars of iron.
19 “He is the (S)first of the ways of God;
Let his (T)maker bring near his sword.
20 “Surely the mountains (U)bring him food,
And all the beasts of the field (V)play there.
21 “Under the lotus plants he lies down,
In the covert of the reeds and the marsh.
22 “The lotus plants cover him with [g]shade;
The willows of the brook surround him.
23 “If a river [h]rages, he is not alarmed;
He is confident, though the (W)Jordan rushes to his mouth.
24 “Can anyone capture him [i]when he is on watch,
With [j]barbs can anyone pierce his nose?
Footnotes
- Job 40:12 Lit under them
- Job 40:13 Or their faces
- Job 40:14 Or praise you
- Job 40:15 Or the hippopotamus
- Job 40:15 Lit with
- Job 40:18 Lit bones
- Job 40:22 Lit his shade
- Job 40:23 Or oppresses
- Job 40:24 Lit in his eyes
- Job 40:24 Lit snares
Cross references
- Job 40:2 : Job 9:3; 10:2; 33:13; Is 45:9
- Job 40:2 : Job 13:3; 23:4; 31:35
- Job 40:4 : Job 21:5; 29:9
- Job 40:5 : Job 9:3, 15
- Job 40:6 : Job 38:1
- Job 40:7 : Job 38:3
- Job 40:7 : Job 38:3; 42:4
- Job 40:8 : Rom 3:4
- Job 40:8 : Job 10:3, 7; 16:11; 19:6; 27:2
- Job 40:8 : Job 13:18; 27:6
- Job 40:9 : Job 37:5; Ps 29:3
- Job 40:10 : Ps 93:1; 104:1
- Job 40:11 : Is 42:25; Nah 1:6, 8
- Job 40:11 : Is 2:12; Dan 4:37
- Job 40:12 : 1 Sam 2:7; Is 2:12; 13:11; Dan 4:37
- Job 40:12 : Is 63:3
- Job 40:13 : Is 2:10-12
- Job 40:15 : Job 40:19
- Job 40:19 : Job 41:33
- Job 40:19 : Job 40:15
- Job 40:20 : Ps 104:14
- Job 40:20 : Ps 104:26
- Job 40:23 : Gen 13:10