Job 38-39 - Prayer Tents

The Lord Challenges Job

38Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind.H3068H6030H347H5591H559 2"Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?H2821H6098H4405H1847 3Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.H247H2504H1397H7592H3045 4"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.H375H3245H776H5046H3045H998 5Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line?H7760H4461H3045H5186H6957 6What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstoneH134H2883H3384H6438H68 7as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?H1242H3556H7442H3162H1121H430H7321 8"Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst from the womb,H5526H3220H1817H1518H3318H7358 9and as I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it in thick darkness?H7760H6051H3830H6205H2854 10For I locked it behind barred gates, limiting its shores.H7665H2706H7760H1280H1817 11I said, 'This far and no farther will you come. Here your proud waves must stop!'H559H5704H6311H935H3254H1347H1530H7896 12"Have you ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east?H6680H1242H3117H7837H3045H4725 13Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth, to bring an end to the night's wickedness?H270H3671H776H7563H5287 14As the light approaches, the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal; it is robed in brilliant colors.H2015H2563H2368H3320H3830 15The light disturbs the wicked and stops the arm that is raised in violence.H7563H216H4513H7311H2220H7665 16"Have you explored the springs from which the seas come? Have you explored their depths?H935H5033H3220H1980H2714H8415 17Do you know where the gates of death are located? Have you seen the gates of utter gloom?H8179H4194H1540H7200H8179H6757 18Do you realize the extent of the earth? Tell me about it if you know!H995H7338H776H5046H3045 19"Where does light come from, and where does darkness go?H1870H216H7931H2822H4725 20Can you take each to its home? Do you know how to get there?H3947H1366H995H5410H1004 21But of course you know all this! For you were born before it was all created, and you are so very experienced!H3045H3205H4557H3117H7227 22"Have you visited the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of hail?H935H214H7950H7200H214H1259 23(I have reserved them as weapons for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war.)H2820H6256H6862H3117H7128H4421 24Where is the path to the source of light? Where is the home of the east wind?H335H1870H216H2505H6327H6921H776 25"Who created a channel for the torrents of rain? Who laid out the path for the lightning?H6385H8585H7858H1870H2385H6963 26Who makes the rain fall on barren land, in a desert where no one lives?H4305H776H376H4057H120 27Who sends rain to satisfy the parched ground and make the tender grass spring up?H7646H7722H4875H4161H1877H6779 28"Does the rain have a father? Who gives birth to the dew?H3426H4306H1H3205H96H2919 29Who is the mother of the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens?H990H3318H7140H3713H8064H3205 30For the water turns to ice as hard as rock, and the surface of the water freezes.H4325H2244H68H6440H8415H3920 31"Can you direct the movement of the stars—binding the cluster of the Pleiades or loosening the cords of Orion?H7194H4575H3598H6605H4189H3685 32Can you direct the sequence of the seasons or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens?H3318H4216H6256H5148H5906H1121 33Do you know the laws of the universe? Can you use them to regulate the earth?H3045H2708H8064H7760H4896H776 34"Can you shout to the clouds and make it rain?H7311H6963H5645H8229H4325H3680 35Can you make lightning appear and cause it to strike as you direct?H7971H1300H3212H559 36Who gives intuition to the heart and instinct to the mind?H7896H2451H2910H5414H998H7907 37Who is wise enough to count all the clouds? Who can tilt the water jars of heavenH5608H7834H2451H7901H5035H8064 38when the parched ground is dry and the soil has hardened into clods?H6083H3332H4165H7263H1692 39"Can you stalk prey for a lioness and satisfy the young lions' appetitesH6679H2964H3833H4390H2416H3715 40as they lie in their dens or crouch in the thicket?H7817H4585H3427H5521H3926H695 41Who provides food for the ravens when their young cry out to God and wander about in hunger?H3559H6158H6718H3206H7768H410H8582H1097H400

The Lord’s Challenge Continues

39"Do you know when the wild goats give birth? Have you watched as deer are born in the wild?H3045H6256H3277H5553H3205H8104H355H2342 2Do you know how many months they carry their young? Are you aware of the time of their delivery?H5608H3391H4390H3045H6256H3205 3They crouch down to give birth to their young and deliver their offspring.H3766H6398H3206H7971H2256 4Their young grow up in the open fields, then leave home and never return.H1121H2492H7235H1250H3318H7725 5"Who gives the wild donkey its freedom? Who untied its ropes?H7971H6501H2670H6605H4147H6171 6I have placed it in the wilderness; its home is the wasteland.H1004H7760H6160H4420H4908 7It hates the noise of the city and has no driver to shout at it.H7832H1995H7151H8085H8663H5065 8The mountains are its pastureland, where it searches for every blade of grass.H3491H2022H4829H1875H310H3387 9"Will the wild ox consent to being tamed? Will it spend the night in your stall?H7214H14H5647H3885H18 10Can you hitch a wild ox to a plow? Will it plow a field for you?H7194H7214H5688H8525H7702H6010H310 11Given its strength, can you trust it? Can you leave and trust the ox to do your work?H982H3581H7227H5800H3018 12Can you rely on it to bring home your grain and deliver it to your threshing floor?H539H7725H7725H2233H622H1637 13"The ostrich flaps her wings grandly, but they are no match for the feathers of the stork.H7443H3671H5965H84H2624H5133 14She lays her eggs on top of the earth, letting them be warmed in the dust.H5800H1000H776H2552H6083 15She doesn't worry that a foot might crush them or a wild animal might destroy them.H7911H7272H2115H7704H2416H1758 16She is harsh toward her young, as if they were not her own. She doesn't care if they die.H7188H1121H3808H3018H7385H6343 17For God has deprived her of wisdom. He has given her no understanding.H433H5382H2451H2505H998 18But whenever she jumps up to run, she passes the swiftest horse with its rider.H6256H4754H4791H7832H5483H7392 19"Have you given the horse its strength or clothed its neck with a flowing mane?H5414H5483H1369H3847H6677H7483 20Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust? Its majestic snorting is terrifying!H7493H697H1935H5170H367 21It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength when it charges out to battle.H2658H6010H7797H3581H3318H7125H5402 22It laughs at fear and is unafraid. It does not run from the sword.H7832H6343H2865H7725H6440H2719 23The arrows rattle against it, and the spear and javelin flash.H827H7439H3851H2595H3591 24It paws the ground fiercely and rushes forward into battle when the ram's horn blows.H1572H776H7494H7267H539H6963H7782 25It snorts at the sound of the horn. It senses the battle in the distance. It quivers at the captain's commands and the noise of battle.H559H1767H7782H1889H1889H7306H4421H7350H7482H8269H8643 26"Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar and spread its wings toward the south?H5322H82H998H6566H3671H8486 27Is it at your command that the eagle rises to the heights to make its nest?H5404H1361H6310H7311H7064H7311 28It lives on the cliffs, making its home on a distant, rocky crag.H7931H3885H5553H8127H5553H4686 29From there it hunts its prey, keeping watch with piercing eyes.H2658H400H5869H5027H7350 30Its young gulp down blood. Where there's a carcass, there you'll find it."H667H5966H1818H2491H1931