Job 40

40 ¹ Then our Father said to Job:

² "Will the one who disputes with the Almighty correct him? Let the accuser of our Father answer it."

Job's Hand Over His Mouth

³ Then Job answered our Father: ⁴ "See, I am unworthy—how can I answer you? I put my hand over my mouth." ⁵ "I have spoken once—I will not reply; twice—I will say no more."

⁶ Then our Father answered Job out of the storm:

⁷ "Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me." ⁸ "Would you really annul my justice? Would you condemn me so that you may be right?" ⁹ "Do you have an arm like our Father's? Can you thunder with a voice like his?" ¹⁰ "Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity; clothe yourself with honor and splendor." ¹¹ "Pour out the fury of your anger; look on everyone who is proud and bring him low." ¹² "Look on everyone who is proud and humble him; crush the wicked where they stand." ¹³ "Bury them all in the dust together; shroud their faces in the grave." ¹⁴ "Then even I would praise you, for your own right hand could save you." ¹⁵ "Look at Behemoth, which I made just as I made you; he eats grass like an ox." ^a a v15 Behemoth is a massive beast—likely the hippopotamus or a great land animal—lifted up here as a wonder of our Father's creation. ¹⁶ "Look—his strength is in his loins, and his power in the muscles of his belly." ¹⁷ "He stiffens his tail like a cedar; the tendons of his thighs are tightly knit together." ¹⁸ "His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like bars of iron." ¹⁹ "He is the first of the works of our Father; only his Maker can approach him with the sword." ²⁰ "The mountains yield their produce for him, where all the wild animals play." ²¹ "Under the lotus plants he lies down, in the cover of the reeds and the marsh." ²² "The lotus plants cover him with their shade; the willows of the brook surround him." ²³ "If the river rages, he is not alarmed; he is confident though the Jordan surges against his mouth." ²⁴ "Can anyone capture him while he watches, or pierce his nose with a snare?"