Job 38 Comparison: Noyes Translation (1869) vs King James Version

Job 38

¹Then spake Jehovah to Job out of the whirlwind, and said:

²Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

³Gird up thy loins like a man! I will ask thee, and answer thou me!

⁴Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding!

⁵Who fixed its dimensions, that thou shouldst know it! Or who stretched out the line upon it?

⁶Upon what were its foundations fixed? And who laid its corner-stone,

⁷When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁸And who shut up the sea with doors, When it burst forth as from the womb?

⁹When I made the clouds its mantle, And thick darkness its swaddling-band;

¹⁰When I appointed for it my bound, And fixed for it bars and doors;

¹¹And said, Thus far shalt thou come, and no farther, And here shall thy proud waves be stayed!

¹²Hast thou, in thy life, given charge to the morning, Or caused the day-spring to know its place,

¹³That it should lay hold of the ends of the earth, And shake the wicked out of it?

¹⁴It is changed as clay by the seal; And all things stand forth as in rich apparel.

¹⁵But from the wicked their light is withheld, And the high-raised arm is broken.

¹⁶Hast thou visited the springs of the sea, And walked through the recesses of the deep?

¹⁷Have the gates of death been disclosed to thee, And hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?

¹⁸Hast thou surveyed the breadth of the earth? Declare, if thou knowest it all!

¹⁹Where is the way to the abode of light? And darkness—where is its dwelling-place?

²⁰That thou shouldst lead it to its boundary, And that thou shouldst know the paths to its mansion!

²¹Surely thou knowest; for thou wast then born! And the number of thy years is great!

²²Hast thou visited the storehouses of the snow, Or seen the treasuries of the hail,

²³Which I have reserved against the time of trouble,—Against the day of battle and war?

²⁴What is the way to where light is distributed, And the east wind spread abroad upon the earth?

²⁵Who hath prepared channels for the rain, And a path for the thunder-flash,

²⁶To give rain to the land without an inhabitant, To the wilderness wherein is no man;

²⁷To satisfy the desolate and waste ground, And cause the tender herb to spring forth?

²⁸Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of the dew?

²⁹Out of whose womb came the ice? And who hath gendered the hoar-frost of heaven?

³⁰The waters are hid as under stone, And the face of the deep becometh solid.

³¹Canst thou fasten the bands of the Pleiades, Or loosen the chains of Orion?

³²Canst thou lead forth the Signs in their season, Or guide the Bear with her sons?

³³Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Hast thou appointed their dominion over the earth?

³⁴Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, So that abundance of waters will cover thee?

³⁵Canst thou send forth lightnings, so that they will go, And say to thee, "Here we are"?

³⁶Who hath put understanding in the reins, And given intelligence to the mind?

³⁷Who numbereth the clouds in wisdom? And who poureth out the bottles of heaven,

³⁸When the dust floweth into a molten mass, And the clods cleave fast together?

³⁹Canst thou hunt prey for the lioness, Or satisfy the hunger of the young lions,

⁴⁰When they couch in their dens, And lie in wait in the thicket?

⁴¹Who provideth for the raven his food, When his young ones cry unto God, While they wander about without food?

Job 38

¹Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

²Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

³Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

⁴Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

⁵Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

⁶Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

⁷When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁸Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

⁹When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

¹⁰And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,

¹¹And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

¹²Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

¹³That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

¹⁴It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.

¹⁵And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.

¹⁶Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

¹⁷Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

¹⁸Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.

¹⁹Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,

²⁰That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

²¹Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?

²²Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

²³Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

²⁴By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

²⁵Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;

²⁶To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

²⁷To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

²⁸Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

²⁹Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

³⁰The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

³¹Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?

³²Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

³³Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

³⁴Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

³⁵Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?

³⁶Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?

³⁷Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,

³⁸When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

³⁹Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,

⁴⁰When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?

⁴¹Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.