38:1

וַיַּעַן־יְהוָה אֶת־אִיּוֹב מנ הסערה [מִן ] [הַסְּעָרָה] וַיֹּאמַר׃

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:

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38:2

מִי זֶה מַחְשִׁיךְ עֵצָה בְמִלִּין בְּלִי־דָעַת׃

Who is this that darkeneth counsel By words without knowledge?

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38:3

אֱזָר־נָא כְגֶבֶר חֲלָצֶיךָ וְאֶשְׁאָלְךָ וְהוֹדִיעֵנִי׃

Gird up now thy loins like a man; For I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto Me.

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38:4

אֵיפֹה הָיִיתָ בְּיָסְדִי־אָרֶץ הַגֵּד אִם־יָדַעְתָּ בִינָה׃

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast the understanding.

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38:5

מִי־שָׂם מְמַדֶּיהָ כִּי תֵדָע אוֹ מִי־נָטָה עָלֶיהָ קָּו׃

Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched the line upon it?

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38:6

עַל־מָה אֲדָנֶיהָ הָטְבָּעוּ אוֹ מִי־יָרָה אֶבֶן פִּנָּתָהּ׃

Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner-stone thereof,

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38:7

בְּרָן־יַחַד כּוֹכְבֵי בֹקֶר וַיָּרִיעוּ כָּל־בְּנֵי אֱלֹהִים׃

When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

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38:8

וַיָּסֶךְ בִּדְלָתַיִם יָם בְּגִיחוֹ מֵרֶחֶם יֵצֵא׃

Or who shut up the sea with doors, When it broke forth, and issued out of the womb;

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38:9

בְּשׂוּמִי עָנָן לְבֻשׁוֹ וַעֲרָפֶל חֲתֻלָּתוֹ׃

When I made the cloud the garment thereof, And thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

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38:10

וָאֶשְׁבֹּר עָלָיו חֻקִּי וָאָשִׂים בְּרִיחַ וּדְלָתָיִם׃

And prescribed for it My decree, And set bars and doors,

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38:11

וָאֹמַר עַד־פֹּה תָבוֹא וְלֹא תֹסִיף וּפֹא־יָשִׁית בִּגְאוֹן גַּלֶּיךָ׃

And said: ‘Thus far shalt thou come, but no further; And here shall thy proud waves be stayed’?

38:12

הְמִיָּמֶיךָ צִוִּיתָ בֹּקֶר ידעתה שחר [יִדַּעְתָּה] [הַשַּׁחַר] מְקֹמוֹ׃

Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began, And caused the dayspring to know its place;

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38:13

לֶאֱחֹז בְּכַנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ וְיִנָּעֲרוּ רְשָׁעִים מִמֶּנָּה׃

That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it?

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38:14

תִּתְהַפֵּךְ כְּחֹמֶר חוֹתָם וְיִתְיַצְּבוּ כְּמוֹ לְבוּשׁ׃

It is changed as clay under the seal; And they stand as a garment.

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38:15

וְיִמָּנַע מֵרְשָׁעִים אוֹרָם וּזְרוֹעַ רָמָה תִּשָּׁבֵר׃

But from the wicked their light is withholden, And the high arm is broken.

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38:16

הֲבָאתָ עַד־נִבְכֵי־יָם וּבְחֵקֶר תְּהוֹם הִתְהַלָּכְתָּ׃

Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep? .

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38:17

הֲנִגְלוּ לְךָ שַׁעֲרֵי־מָוֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵי צַלְמָוֶת תִּרְאֶה׃

Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee? Or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?

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38:18

הִתְבֹּנַנְתָּ עַד־רַחֲבֵי־אָרֶץ הַגֵּד אִם־יָדַעְתָּ כֻלָּהּ׃

Hast thou surveyed unto the breadths of the earth? Declare, if thou knowest it all.

38:19

אֵי־זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ יִשְׁכָּן־אוֹר וְחֹשֶׁךְ אֵי־זֶה מְקֹמוֹ׃

Where is the way to the dwelling of light, And as for darkness, where is the place thereof;

38:20

כִּי תִקָּחֶנּוּ אֶל־גְּבוּלוֹ וְכִי־תָבִין נְתִיבוֹת בֵּיתוֹ׃

That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, And that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

38:21

יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־אָז תִּוָּלֵד וּמִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ רַבִּים׃

Thou knowest it, for thou wast then born, And the number of thy days is great!

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38:22

הֲבָאתָ אֶל־אֹצְרוֹת שָׁלֶג וְאֹצְרוֹת בָּרָד תִּרְאֶה׃

Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow, Or hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail,

38:23

אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׂכְתִּי לְעֶת־צָר לְיוֹם קְרָב וּמִלְחָמָה׃

Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, Against the day of battle and war?

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38:24

אֵי־זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ יֵחָלֶק אוֹר יָפֵץ קָדִים עֲלֵי־אָרֶץ׃

By what way is the light parted, Or the east wind scattered upon the earth?

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38:25

מִי־פִלַּג לַשֶּׁטֶף תְּעָלָה וְדֶרֶךְ לַחֲזִיז קֹלוֹת׃

Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood, Or a way for the lightning of the thunder;

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38:26

לְהַמְטִיר עַל־אֶרֶץ לֹא־אִישׁ מִדְבָּר לֹא־אָדָם בּוֹ׃

To cause it to rain on a land where no man is, On the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

38:27

לְהַשְׂבִּיעַ שֹׁאָה וּמְשֹׁאָה וּלְהַצְמִיחַ מֹצָא דֶשֶׁא׃

To satisfy the desolate and waste ground, And to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

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38:28

הֲיֵשׁ־לַמָּטָר אָב אוֹ מִי־הוֹלִיד אֶגְלֵי־טָל׃

Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

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38:29

מִבֶּטֶן מִי יָצָא הַקָּרַח וּכְפֹר שָׁמַיִם מִי יְלָדוֹ׃

Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoar-frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

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38:30

כָּאֶבֶן מַיִם יִתְחַבָּאוּ וּפְנֵי תְהוֹם יִתְלַכָּדוּ׃

The waters are congealed like stone, And the face of the deep is frozen.

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38:31

הַתְקַשֵּׁר מַעֲדַנּוֹת כִּימָה אוֹ־מֹשְׁכוֹת כְּסִיל תְּפַתֵּחַ׃

Canst thou bind the chains of the Pleiades, Or loose the bands of Orion?

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38:32

הֲתֹצִיא מַזָּרוֹת בְּעִתּוֹ וְעַיִשׁ עַל־בָּנֶיהָ תַנְחֵם׃

Canst thou lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? Or canst thou guide the Bear with her sons?

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38:33

הֲיָדַעְתָּ חֻקּוֹת שָׁמָיִם אִם־תָּשִׂים מִשְׁטָרוֹ בָאָרֶץ׃

Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth?

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38:34

הֲתָרִים לָעָב קוֹלֶךָ וְשִׁפְעַת־מַיִם תְּכַסֶּךָּ׃

Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover thee?

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38:35

הַתְשַׁלַּח בְּרָקִים וְיֵלֵכוּ וְיֹאמְרוּ לְךָ הִנֵּנוּ׃

Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go, And say unto thee: ‘Here we are’?

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38:36

מִי־שָׁת בַּטֻּחוֹת חָכְמָה אוֹ מִי־נָתַן לַשֶּׂכְוִי בִינָה׃

Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who hath given understanding to the mind?

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38:37

מִי־יְסַפֵּר שְׁחָקִים בְּחָכְמָה וְנִבְלֵי שָׁמַיִם מִי יַשְׁכִּיב׃

Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,

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38:38

בְּצֶקֶת עָפָר לַמּוּצָק וּרְגָבִים יְדֻבָּקוּ׃

When the dust runneth into a mass, And the clods cleave fast together?

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38:39

הֲתָצוּד לְלָבִיא טָרֶף וְחַיַּת כְּפִירִים תְּמַלֵּא׃

Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lioness? Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

38:40

כִּי־יָשֹׁחוּ בַמְּעוֹנוֹת יֵשְׁבוּ בַסֻּכָּה לְמוֹ־אָרֶב׃

When they couch in their dens, And abide in the covert to lie in wait?

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38:41

מִי יָכִין לָעֹרֵב צֵידוֹ כִּי־ילדו [יְלָדָיו] אֶל־אֵל יְשַׁוֵּעוּ יִתְעוּ לִבְלִי־אֹכֶל׃

Who provideth for the raven his prey, When his young ones cry unto God, and wander for lack of food?

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