Job 40 — BST
40Verse 1And the Lord God answered Job, and said,Verse 2Will any one pervert judgment with the Mighty One? and he that reproves God, let him return it for answer.Verse 3And Job answered and said to the Lord,Verse 4Why do I yet plead? being rebuked even while reproving the Lord: hearing such things, whereas I am nothing: and what shall I answer to these arguments? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.Verse 5I have spoken once; but I will not do so a second time.Verse 6And the Lord yet again answered and spoke to Job out of the cloud, saying,Verse 7Nay, gird up now thy loins like a man; and I will ask thee, and do thou answer me.Verse 8Do not set aside my judgment: and dost thou think that I have dealt with thee in any other way, than that thou mightest appear to be righteous?Verse 9Hast thou an arm like the Lord's? or dost thou thunder with a voice like his?Verse 10Assume now a lofty bearing and power; and clothe thyself with glory and honour.Verse 11And send forth messengers with wrath; and lay low every haughty one.Verse 12Bring down also the proud man; and consume at once the ungodly.Verse 13And hide them together in the earth; and fill their faces with shame.Verse 14Then will I confess that thy right hand can save thee.Verse 15But now look at the wild beasts with thee; they eat grass like oxen.Verse 16Behold now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.Verse 17He sets up his tail like a cypress; and his nerves are wrapped together.Verse 18His sides are sides of brass; and his backbone is as cast iron.Verse 19This is the chief of the creation of the Lord; made to be played with by his angels.Verse 20And when he has gone up to a steep mountain, he causes joy to the quadrupeds in the deep.Verse 21He lies under trees of every kind, by the papyrus, and reed, and bulrush.Verse 22And the great trees make a shadow over him with their branches, and so do the bushes of the field.Verse 23If there should be a flood, he will not perceive it; he trusts that Jordan will rush up into his mouth.Verse 24Yet one shall take him in his sight; one shall catch him with a cord, and pierce his nose.Verse 25But wilt thou catch the serpent with a hook, and put a halter about his nose?Verse 26Or wilt thou fasten a ring in his nostril, and bore his lip with a clasp?Verse 27Will he address thee with a petition? softly, with the voice of a suppliant?Verse 28And will he make a covenant with thee? and wilt thou take him for a perpetual servant?Verse 29And wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or bind him as a sparrow for a child?Verse 30And do the nations feed upon him, and the nations of the Phœnicians share him?Verse 31And all the ships come together would not be able to bear the mere skin of his tail; neither shall they carry his head in fishing-vessels.Verse 32But thou shalt lay thy hand upon him once, remembering the war that is waged by his mouth; and let it not be done any more.