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40 And Jehovah answered Job and said,

Shall he that will contend with the Almighty instruct [him]? he that reproveth +God, let him answer it.

And Job answered Jehovah and said,

Behold, I am nought: what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.

Once have I spoken, and I will not answer; yea twice, but I will proceed no further.

And Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,

Gird up now thy loins like a man: I will demand of thee, and inform thou me.

Wilt thou also annul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me that thou mayest be righteous?

Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

10 Deck thyself now with glory and excellency, and clothe thyself with majesty and splendour.

11 Cast abroad the ragings of thine anger, and look on every one that is proud, and abase him:

12 Look on every one that is proud, bring him low, and tread down the wicked in their place:

13 Hide them in the dust together; bind their faces in secret.

14 Then will I also praise thee, because thy right hand saveth thee.

15 See now the behemoth, which I made with thee: he eateth grass as an ox.

16 Behold now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the muscles of his belly.

17 He bendeth his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are woven together.

18 His bones are tubes of bronze, his members are like bars of iron.

19 He is the chief of God's ways: he that made him gave him his sword.

20 For the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.

21 He lieth under lotus-bushes, in the covert of the reed and fen:

22 Lotus-bushes cover him with their shade; the willows of the brook surround him.

23 Lo, the river overfloweth—he startleth not: he is confident though a Jordan break forth against his mouth.

24 Shall he be taken in front? will they pierce through [his] nose in the trap?

41 Wilt thou draw out the leviathan with the hook, and press down his tongue with a cord?

Wilt thou put a rush-rope into his nose, and pierce his jaw with a spike?

Will he make many supplications unto thee? or will he speak softly unto thee?

Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him as a bondman for ever?

Wilt thou play with him as with a bird, and wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

Shall partners make traffic of him, will they divide him among merchants?

Wilt thou fill his skin with darts, and his head with fish-spears?

Lay thy hand upon him; remember the battle,—do no more!

Lo, hope as to him is belied: is not one cast down even at the sight of him?

10 None is so bold as to stir him up; and who is he that will stand before me?

11 Who hath first given to me, that I should repay [him]? [Whatsoever is] under the whole heaven is mine.

12 I will not be silent as to his parts, the story of his power, and the beauty of his structure.

13 Who can uncover the surface of his garment? who can come within his double jaws?

14 Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror.

15 The rows of his shields are a pride, shut up together [as with] a close seal.

16 One is so near to another that no air can come between them;

17 They are joined each to its fellow; they stick together, and cannot be sundered.

18 His sneezings flash light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

19 Out of his mouth go forth flames; sparks of fire leap out:

20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a boiling pot and cauldron.

21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.

22 In his neck lodgeth strength, and terror danceth before him.

23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are fused upon him, they cannot be moved.

24 His heart is firm as a stone, yea, firm as the nether [millstone].

25 When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid: they are beside themselves with consternation.

26 If any reach him with a sword, it cannot hold; neither spear, nor dart, nor harpoon.

27 He esteemeth iron as straw, bronze as rotten wood.

28 The arrow will not make him flee; slingstones are turned with him into stubble.

29 Clubs are counted as stubble; he laugheth at the shaking of a javelin.

30 His under parts are sharp potsherds: he spreadeth a threshing-sledge upon the mire.

31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot; he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment;

32 He maketh the path to shine after him: one would think the deep to be hoary.

33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

34 He beholdeth all high things; he is king over all the proud beasts.

42 And Job answered Jehovah and said,

I know that thou canst do everything, and that thou canst be hindered in no thought of thine.

Who is he that obscureth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered what I did not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and inform me.

I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee:

Wherefore I abhor [myself], and repent in dust and ashes.

And it came to pass after Jehovah had spoken these words to Job, that Jehovah said to Eliphaz the Temanite, Mine anger is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken rightly of me, like my servant Job.

And now, take for yourselves 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: lest I deal with you [after your] folly, for ye have not spoken of me rightly, like my servant Job.

Then Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, went and did according as Jehovah had said unto them; and Jehovah accepted Job.

10 And Jehovah turned the captivity of Job, when he had prayed for his friends; and Jehovah gave Job twice as much as he had before.

11 And all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house, and they condoled with him, and comforted him concerning all the evil that Jehovah had brought upon him; and every one gave him a piece of money, and every one a golden ring.

12 And 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 And he had 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 Job lived after this a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations.

17 And Job died, old and full of days.

40 The Lord said to Job:(A)

“Will the one who contends with the Almighty(B) correct him?(C)
    Let him who accuses God answer him!”(D)

Then Job answered the Lord:

“I am unworthy(E)—how can I reply to you?
    I put my hand over my mouth.(F)
I spoke once, but I have no answer(G)
    twice, but I will say no more.”(H)

Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:(I)

“Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.(J)

“Would you discredit my justice?(K)
    Would you condemn me to justify yourself?(L)
Do you have an arm like God’s,(M)
    and can your voice(N) thunder like his?(O)
10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
    and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.(P)
11 Unleash the fury of your wrath,(Q)
    look at all who are proud and bring them low,(R)
12 look at all who are proud(S) and humble them,(T)
    crush(U) the wicked where they stand.
13 Bury them all in the dust together;(V)
    shroud their faces in the grave.(W)
14 Then I myself will admit to you
    that your own right hand can save you.(X)

15 “Look at Behemoth,
    which I made(Y) along with you
    and which feeds on grass like an ox.(Z)
16 What strength(AA) it has in its loins,
    what power in the muscles of its belly!(AB)
17 Its tail sways like a cedar;
    the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.(AC)
18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,
    its limbs(AD) like rods of iron.(AE)
19 It ranks first among the works of God,(AF)
    yet its Maker(AG) can approach it with his sword.(AH)
20 The hills bring it their produce,(AI)
    and all the wild animals play(AJ) nearby.(AK)
21 Under the lotus plants it lies,
    hidden among the reeds(AL) in the marsh.(AM)
22 The lotuses conceal it in their shadow;
    the poplars by the stream(AN) surround it.
23 A raging river(AO) does not alarm it;
    it is secure, though the Jordan(AP) should surge against its mouth.
24 Can anyone capture it by the eyes,
    or trap it and pierce its nose?(AQ)

41 [a]“Can you pull in Leviathan(AR) with a fishhook(AS)
    or tie down its tongue with a rope?
Can you put a cord through its nose(AT)
    or pierce its jaw with a hook?(AU)
Will it keep begging you for mercy?(AV)
    Will it speak to you with gentle words?
Will it make an agreement with you
    for you to take it as your slave for life?(AW)
Can you make a pet of it like a bird
    or put it on a leash for the young women in your house?
Will traders barter for it?
    Will they divide it up among the merchants?
Can you fill its hide with harpoons
    or its head with fishing spears?(AX)
If you lay a hand on it,
    you will remember the struggle and never do it again!(AY)
Any hope of subduing it is false;
    the mere sight of it is overpowering.(AZ)
10 No one is fierce enough to rouse it.(BA)
    Who then is able to stand against me?(BB)
11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay?(BC)
    Everything under heaven belongs to me.(BD)

12 “I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs,(BE)
    its strength(BF) and its graceful form.
13 Who can strip off its outer coat?
    Who can penetrate its double coat of armor[b]?(BG)
14 Who dares open the doors of its mouth,(BH)
    ringed about with fearsome teeth?
15 Its back has[c] rows of shields
    tightly sealed together;(BI)
16 each is so close to the next
    that no air can pass between.
17 They are joined fast to one another;
    they cling together and cannot be parted.
18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light;
    its eyes are like the rays of dawn.(BJ)
19 Flames(BK) stream from its mouth;
    sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke pours from its nostrils(BL)
    as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
21 Its breath(BM) sets coals ablaze,
    and flames dart from its mouth.(BN)
22 Strength(BO) resides in its neck;
    dismay goes before it.
23 The folds of its flesh are tightly joined;
    they are firm and immovable.
24 Its chest is hard as rock,
    hard as a lower millstone.(BP)
25 When it rises up, the mighty are terrified;(BQ)
    they retreat before its thrashing.(BR)
26 The sword that reaches it has no effect,
    nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.(BS)
27 Iron it treats like straw(BT)
    and bronze like rotten wood.
28 Arrows do not make it flee;(BU)
    slingstones are like chaff to it.
29 A club seems to it but a piece of straw;(BV)
    it laughs(BW) at the rattling of the lance.
30 Its undersides are jagged potsherds,
    leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.(BX)
31 It makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron(BY)
    and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.(BZ)
32 It leaves a glistening wake behind it;
    one would think the deep had white hair.
33 Nothing on earth is its equal(CA)
    a creature without fear.
34 It looks down on all that are haughty;(CB)
    it is king over all that are proud.(CC)

Job

42 Then Job replied to the Lord:

“I know that you can do all things;(CD)
    no purpose of yours can be thwarted.(CE)
You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’(CF)
    Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me to know.(CG)

“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.’(CH)
My ears had heard of you(CI)
    but now my eyes have seen you.(CJ)
Therefore I despise myself(CK)
    and repent(CL) in dust and ashes.”(CM)

Epilogue

After the Lord had said these things to Job(CN), he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends,(CO) because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.(CP) So now take seven bulls and seven rams(CQ) and go to my servant Job(CR) and sacrifice a burnt offering(CS) for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer(CT) and not deal with you according to your folly.(CU) You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.”(CV) So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite(CW) did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.(CX)

10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes(CY) and gave him twice as much as he had before.(CZ) 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before(DA) came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him,(DB) and each one gave him a piece of silver[d] and a gold ring.

12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.

16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so Job died, an old man and full of years.(DC)

Footnotes

  1. Job 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-8 is numbered 40:25-32, and 41:9-34 is numbered 41:1-26.
  2. Job 41:13 Septuagint; Hebrew double bridle
  3. Job 41:15 Or Its pride is its
  4. Job 42:11 Hebrew him a kesitah; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value.