The Lord Answers Job
1 Then out of the storm the Lord spoke to Job.
The Lord
2 Who are you to question my wisdom
with your ignorant, empty words?
3 Now stand up straight
and answer the questions I ask you.
4 Were you there when I made the world?
If you know so much, tell me about it.
5 Who decided how large it would be?
Who stretched the measuring line over it?
Do you know all the answers?
6 What holds up the pillars that support the earth?
Who laid the cornerstone of the world?
7 In the dawn of that day the stars sang together,
and the heavenly beings shouted for joy.
8 Who closed the gates to hold back the sea
when it burst from the womb of the earth?
9 It was I who covered the sea with clouds
and wrapped it in darkness.
10 I marked a boundary for the sea
and kept it behind bolted gates.
11 I told it, “So far and no farther!
Here your powerful waves must stop.”
12 Job, have you ever in all your life
commanded a day to dawn?
13 Have you ordered the dawn to seize the earth
and shake the wicked from their hiding places?
14 Daylight makes the hills and valleys stand out
like the folds of a garment,
clear as the imprint of a seal on clay.
15 The light of day is too bright for the wicked
and restrains them from doing violence.
16 Have you been to the springs in the depths of the sea?
Have you walked on the floor of the ocean?
17 Has anyone ever shown you the gates
that guard the dark world of the dead?
18 Have you any idea how big the world is?
Answer me if you know.
19 Do you know where the light comes from
or what the source of darkness is?
20 Can you show them how far to go,
or send them back again?
21 I am sure you can, because you're so old
and were there when the world was made!
22 Have you ever visited the storerooms,
where I keep the snow and the hail?
23 I keep them ready for times of trouble,
for days of battle and war.
24 Have you been to the place where the sun comes up,
or the place from which the east wind blows?
25 Who dug a channel for the pouring rain
and cleared the way for the thunderstorm?
26 Who makes rain fall where no one lives?
27 Who waters the dry and thirsty land,
so that grass springs up?
28 Does either the rain or the dew have a father?
29 Who is the mother of the ice and the frost,
30 which turn the waters to stone
and freeze the face of the sea?
31 Can you tie the Pleiades together
or loosen the bonds that hold Orion?
32 Can you guide the stars season by season
and direct the Big and the Little Dipper?
33 Do you know the laws that govern the skies,
and can you make them apply to the earth?
34 Can you shout orders to the clouds
and make them drench you with rain?
35 And if you command the lightning to flash,
will it come to you and say, “At your service”?
36 Who tells the ibis when the Nile will flood,
or who tells the rooster that rain will fall?
37 Who is wise enough to count the clouds
and tilt them over to pour out the rain,
38 rain that hardens the dust into lumps?
39 Do you find food for lions to eat,
and satisfy hungry young lions
40 when they hide in their caves,
or lie in wait in their dens?
41 Who is it that feeds the ravens
when they wander about hungry,
when their young cry to me for food?
Dievs atbild Ījabam
(1Moz 1:1–10)1 Tad Kungs no viesuļa atbildēja Ījabam, sacīdams:
2 “Kas manu padomu aptumšo
vārdiem, kuros nav zināšanas?
3 Joz nu gurnus kā vīrs –
es tev vaicāšu, tu man stāstīsi,
4 kur tu biji, kad es liku pamatus zemei –
pastāsti, ja to zini!
5 Kas mēroja to, tu taču zini!
Kas auklu vilka tai pāri?
6 Zemes pamati kur gremdēti?
Kas stūrakmeni tai pasvieda,
7 kad gavilēja rīta zvaigznes
un līksmojās visi Dieva dēli?
8 Kas stiprām durvīm aizslēdza jūru,
kad tā lauzās no zemes klēpja,
9 kad es mākoņos to ģērbu
un miglas autos vīstīju,
10 kad aizliku tai savu robežu,
aizšāvu bultu un aizcirtu durvis,
11 un teicu:
tiktāl nāc, bet tālāk ne,
te stās tavi lepnie viļņi!
12 Vai kaut reizi esi pavēlējis rītam
un ausmai licis zināt tās vietu,
13 licis ņemt zemes stūrus
un nokratīt negantos no zemes virsas?
14 Zeme kļūst kā spiedoga māls,
un tie stāv kā uz drānas!
15 Atrauta ļaundariem gaisma,
viņu paceltais elkonis satriekts!
16 Vai esi ticis līdz jūras avotiem,
vai dzelmes dibenā nonācis esi?
17 Vai vērušies tev nāves vārti,
vai tumsības vārtus redzējis esi?
18 Vai zemes plašumus izpratis esi?
Pastāsti, ja visu to zini!
19 Kur tas ceļš, kur gaisma mīt? –
un tumsa – kur tās vieta? –
20 ka tu novestu mājup tās,
zinātu takas uz viņu namu.
21 Tu zini – tu biji jau dzimis,
un dienu tev bez sava skaita!
22 Vai esi nācis sniega kambaros,
vai krusas kambarus redzējis esi?
23 Tos es glabāju naida laikam,
cīniņu un kara dienai!
24 Pa kuru ceļu nogriežas rūsa,
kā pajūk austrenis zemei pāri?
25 Kas lietus gāzmām pašķir ceļu
un ceļā sūta pērkona tūces,
26 lai līst pār zemi, kur ļaužu nav,
pār tuksnesi, kur cilvēks nemājo,
27 kalšņas un smilšņas lai atveldzē,
lai izdiedzē zāli?
28 Vai tad lietum ir tēvs?
Kas dzemdina rasas lāses?
29 No kuras klēpja ledus nāk,
kas dzemdēja debesu sarmu?
30 Kā akmens ūdeņi stingst
un dzelmes vaigs sasalst.
31 Vai vari sasiet Sietiņa važas,
vai Muļķa saites atraisīt vari,
32 vai zvaigznājus vari vadīt to stundā,
vai Lāceni un tās dēlus vadāt tu vari?
33 Vai debesu likumus tu zini?
Vai tu liec tiem valdīt virs zemes?
34 Vai vari līdz mākoņiem pacelt balsi,
lai klāj tevi ūdeņu pali?
35 Vai tu sūti zibeņus, ka tie iet
un atsaucas tev: mēs šeit! –
36 Kas padebešiem dāvā gudrību,
kas manai debesteltij dod saprašanu?
37 Kas ar gudrību saskaita mākoņus,
kas debesu krūkas izlej,
38 ka pīšļi līp kopā
un zemes pikas saķep?
39 Vai tu nomedī lauvai laupījumu
un lauvēnu dzīvību uzturi,
40 kad tie savos midzeņos gul,
biezoknī pieplok, uz upuri glūn?
41 Kas krauklim dod medījumu,
kad šā bērni uz Dievu brēc,
tekalējot bez ēsmas?
