Job 40

¹The Lord said to Job:

²“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?

Let him who accuses God answer him!”

³Then Job answered the Lord:

⁴“I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?

I put my hand over my mouth.

⁵I spoke once, but I have no answer—

twice, but I will say no more.”

⁶Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:

⁷“Brace yourself like a man;

I will question you,

and you shall answer me.

⁸“Would you discredit my justice?

Would you condemn me to justify yourself?

⁹Do you have an arm like God’s,

and can your voice thunder like his?

¹⁰Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,

and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.

¹¹Unleash the fury of your wrath,

look at all who are proud and bring them low,

¹²look at all who are proud and humble them,

crush the wicked where they stand.

¹³Bury them all in the dust together;

shroud their faces in the grave.

¹⁴Then I myself will admit to you

that your own right hand can save you.

¹⁵“Look at Behemoth,

which I made along with you

and which feeds on grass like an ox.

¹⁶What strength it has in its loins,

what power in the muscles of its belly!

¹⁷Its tail sways like a cedar;

the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.

¹⁸Its bones are tubes of bronze,

its limbs like rods of iron.

¹⁹It ranks first among the works of God,

yet its Maker can approach it with his sword.

²⁰The hills bring it their produce,

and all the wild animals play nearby.

²¹Under the lotus plants it lies,

hidden among the reeds in the marsh.

²²The lotuses conceal it in their shadow;

the poplars by the stream surround it.

²³A raging river does not alarm it;

it is secure, though the Jordan should surge against its mouth.

²⁴Can anyone capture it by the eyes,

or trap it and pierce its nose?