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Job: What Can I Say?

40 Then the Lord said to Job,


“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
Let him who disputes with God answer it.”

Then Job replied to the Lord and said,


“Behold, I am of little importance and contemptible; what can I reply to You?
I lay my hand on my mouth.(A)

“I have spoken once, but I will not reply again—
Indeed, twice [I have answered], and I will add nothing further.”

God Questions Job

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, saying,


“Now [a]gird up your loins (prepare yourself) like a man,
And I will ask you, and you instruct Me.

“Will you really annul My judgment and set it aside as void?
Will you condemn Me [your God] that you may [appear to] be righteous and justified?

“Have you an arm like God,
And can you thunder with a voice like His?

10 
“Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity [since you question the Almighty],
And array yourself with honor and majesty.
11 
“Pour out the overflowings of your wrath,
And look at everyone who is proud and make him low.
12 
Look at everyone who is proud, and humble him,
And [if you are so able] tread down the wicked where they stand.
13 
“[Crush and] hide them in the dust together;
Shut them up in the hidden place [the house of death].
14 
“[If you can do all this, Job, proving your divine power] then I [God] will also praise you and acknowledge
That your own right hand can save you.

God’s Power Shown in Creatures

15 
“Behold now, [b]Behemoth, which I created as well as you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16 
“See now, his strength is in his loins
And his power is in the muscles and sinews of his belly.
17 
“He sways his tail like a cedar;
The tendons of his thighs are twisted and knit together [like a rope].
18 
“His bones are tubes of bronze;
His [c]limbs are like bars of iron.

19 
“He is the first [in magnitude and power] of the works of God;
[Only] He who made him can bring near His sword [to master him].
20 
“Surely the mountains bring him food,
And all the wild animals play there.
21 
“He lies down under the lotus plants,
In the hidden shelter of the reeds in the marsh.
22 
“The lotus plants cover him with their shade;
The willows of the brook surround him.
23 
“If a river rages and overflows, he does not tremble;
He is confident, though the Jordan [River] swells and rushes against his mouth.
24 
“Can anyone capture him when he is on watch,
Or pierce his nose with barbs [to trap him]?

Footnotes

  1. Job 40:7 See note 38:3.
  2. Job 40:15 Or the hippopotamus. Although Behemoth cannot be identified with certainty, the biblical description seems most like the hippopotamus. In ancient times it may have been even more formidable than today. In Job’s day the hippopotamus was the largest known creature, was commonly found in the lower Nile River, and may also have existed in the Jordan.
  3. Job 40:18 Lit bones.

Insignificant Before God

40 Then Adonai answered Job, saying:

“Will the one who contends with Shaddai correct him?
    Let him who accuses God answer!”

Then Job answered Adonai. He said:

“Indeed, I am unworthy—what can I reply to You?
I put my hand over my mouth.
I spoke once, but I have no answer—
    twice, but I will say no more.”

Then Adonai answered Job from the whirlwind:

“Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you will inform Me!

“Would you really annul My judgment?
    Would you condemn Me to justify yourself?
Do you have an arm like God’s
    and can you thunder with a voice like His?
10 Then adorn yourself in majesty and dignity;
    clothe yourself in splendor and honor.
11 Scatter the fury of your anger.
Look at every proud personand bring him low;
12 look at everyone who is proud and humble him;
tread down the wicked where they stand.
13 Hide them together in the dust
    bind their faces in the hidden place.
14 Then I—even I will acknowledge to you,
    that your own right hand can save you!

Behemoth and Leviathan

15 “Look now at Behemoth, which I made along with you.
    He eats grass like an ox.
16 Now look at his strength in his loins,
    and his power in the muscles of his belly.
17 He stiffens his tail like a cedar;
    the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
18 His bones are tubes of bronze;
    His limbs like rods of iron.
19 He is first among the ways of God,
    Let his Maker draw near with His sword!
20 For the mountains bring him food,
    and all the wild animals play there.
21 Under the lotus plants he lies down,
    in the secrecy of the reeds and marsh.
22 The lotuses conceal him in their shade;
    the willows of the brook surround him.
23 If the river rages, he is not alarmed.
He is secure, even though the Jordan surges against his mouth.
24 Can anyone capture it by its eyes,
    or pierce his nose with hooks?

25 “Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook,[a]
    or tie down his tongue with a cord?
26 Can you put a reed rope in his nose
    or pierce his jaw with a hook?
27 Will he make many supplications to you,
    or speak softly to you?
28 Will he make a covenant with you,
    so you can take him as a slave forever?
29 Can you play with him like a bird,
    or put him on a leash for your girls?
30 Will traders barter for him?
    Will they divide him among the merchants?
31 Can you fill his hide with harpoons
    or his head with fishing spears?
32 If you lay your hands on him—
    you will remember the battle and never do it again!

Footnotes

  1. Job 40:25 Traditional Christian text numbered as 41:1-34.

40 Then the Lord said to Job,

“Do you still want to argue with the Almighty?
    You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?”

Job Responds to the Lord

Then Job replied to the Lord,

“I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers?
    I will cover my mouth with my hand.
I have said too much already.
    I have nothing more to say.”

The Lord Challenges Job Again

Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:

“Brace yourself like a man,
    because I have some questions for you,
    and you must answer them.

“Will you discredit my justice
    and condemn me just to prove you are right?
Are you as strong as God?
    Can you thunder with a voice like his?
10 All right, put on your glory and splendor,
    your honor and majesty.
11 Give vent to your anger.
    Let it overflow against the proud.
12 Humiliate the proud with a glance;
    walk on the wicked where they stand.
13 Bury them in the dust.
    Imprison them in the world of the dead.
14 Then even I would praise you,
    for your own strength would save you.

15 “Take a look at Behemoth,[a]
    which I made, just as I made you.
    It eats grass like an ox.
16 See its powerful loins
    and the muscles of its belly.
17 Its tail is as strong as a cedar.
    The sinews of its thighs are knit tightly together.
18 Its bones are tubes of bronze.
    Its limbs are bars of iron.
19 It is a prime example of God’s handiwork,
    and only its Creator can threaten it.
20 The mountains offer it their best food,
    where all the wild animals play.
21 It lies under the lotus plants,[b]
    hidden by the reeds in the marsh.
22 The lotus plants give it shade
    among the willows beside the stream.
23 It is not disturbed by the raging river,
    not concerned when the swelling Jordan rushes around it.
24 No one can catch it off guard
    or put a ring in its nose and lead it away.

Footnotes

  1. 40:15 The identification of Behemoth is disputed, ranging from an earthly creature to a mythical sea monster in ancient literature.
  2. 40:21 Or bramble bushes; also in 40:22.