Daily Bread

² “Who is this that obscures my plans^(C)
    with words without knowledge?^(D)
3 Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.^(E)

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?^(F)
    Tell me, if you understand.^(G)
5 Who marked off its dimensions?^(H) Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line^(I) across it?
⁶ On what were its footings set,^(J)
    or who laid its cornerstone^(K)—
⁷ while the morning stars^(L) sang together^(M)
    and all the angels^[a](N) shouted for joy?^(O)

⁸ “Who shut up the sea behind doors^(P)
    when it burst forth from the womb,^(Q)
9 when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,^(R)
10 when I fixed limits for it^(S)
    and set its doors and bars in place,^(T)
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;^(U)
    here is where your proud waves halt’?^(V)

¹² “Have you ever given orders to the morning,^(W)
    or shown the dawn its place,^(X)
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
    and shake the wicked^(Y) out of it?^(Z)
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;^(AA)
    its features stand out like those of a garment.
¹⁵ The wicked are denied their light,^(AB)
    and their upraised arm is broken.^(AC)

¹⁶ “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?^(AD)
17 Have the gates of death^(AE) been shown to you?
    Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?^(AF)
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?^(AG)
    Tell me, if you know all this.^(AH)

¹⁹ “What is the way to the abode of light?
    And where does darkness reside?^(AI)
20 Can you take them to their places?
    Do you know the paths^(AJ) to their dwellings?
²¹ Surely you know, for you were already born!^(AK)
    You have lived so many years!

²² “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow^(AL)
    or seen the storehouses^(AM) of the hail,^(AN)
23 which I reserve for times of trouble,^(AO)
    for days of war and battle?^(AP)
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,^(AQ)
    or the place where the east winds^(AR) are scattered over the earth?^(AS)
25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
    and a path for the thunderstorm,^(AT)
26 to water^(AU) a land where no one lives,
    an uninhabited desert,^(AV)
27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
    and make it sprout with grass?^(AW)
28 Does the rain have a father?^(AX)
    Who fathers the drops of dew?
²⁹ From whose womb comes the ice?
    Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens^(AY)
30 when the waters become hard as stone,
    when the surface of the deep is frozen?^(AZ)

³¹ “Can you bind the chains^[b] of the Pleiades?
    Can you loosen Orion’s belt?^(BA)
32 Can you bring forth the constellations^(BB) in their seasons^[c]
    or lead out the Bear^[d] with its cubs?^(BC)
33 Do you know the laws^(BD) of the heavens?^(BE)
    Can you set up God’s^[e] dominion over the earth?

³⁴ “Can you raise your voice to the clouds
    and cover yourself with a flood of water?^(BF)
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?^(BG)
    Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
³⁶ Who gives the ibis wisdom^[f](BH)
    or gives the rooster understanding?^[g](BI)
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
    Who can tip over the water jars^(BJ) of the heavens^(BK)
38 when the dust becomes hard^(BL)
    and the clods of earth stick together?^(BM)

³⁹ “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
    and satisfy the hunger of the lions^(BN)
40 when they crouch in their dens^(BO)
    or lie in wait in a thicket?^(BP)
41 Who provides food^(BQ) for the raven^(BR)
    when its young cry out to God
    and wander about for lack of food?^(BS)

39 “Do you know when the mountain goats^(BT) give birth?
    Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?^(BU)
2 Do you count the months till they bear?
    Do you know the time they give birth?^(BV)
3 They crouch down and bring forth their young;
    their labor pains are ended.
⁴ Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
    they leave and do not return.

⁵ “Who let the wild donkey^(BW) go free?
    Who untied its ropes?
⁶ I gave it the wasteland^(BX) as its home,
    the salt flats^(BY) as its habitat.^(BZ)
7 It laughs^(CA) at the commotion in the town;
    it does not hear a driver’s shout.^(CB)
8 It ranges the hills^(CC) for its pasture
    and searches for any green thing.

⁹ “Will the wild ox^(CD) consent to serve you?^(CE)
    Will it stay by your manger^(CF) at night?
¹⁰ Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness?^(CG)
    Will it till the valleys behind you?
¹¹ Will you rely on it for its great strength?^(CH)
    Will you leave your heavy work to it?
¹² Can you trust it to haul in your grain
    and bring it to your threshing floor?

¹³ “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
    though they cannot compare
    with the wings and feathers of the stork.^(CI)
14 She lays her eggs on the ground
    and lets them warm in the sand,
¹⁵ unmindful that a foot may crush them,
    that some wild animal may trample them.^(CJ)
16 She treats her young harshly,^(CK) as if they were not hers;
    she cares not that her labor was in vain,
¹⁷ for God did not endow her with wisdom
    or give her a share of good sense.^(CL)
18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
    she laughs^(CM) at horse and rider.

¹⁹ “Do you give the horse its strength^(CN)
    or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
²⁰ Do you make it leap like a locust,^(CO)
    striking terror^(CP) with its proud snorting?^(CQ)
21 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,^(CR)
    and charges into the fray.^(CS)
22 It laughs^(CT) at fear, afraid of nothing;
    it does not shy away from the sword.
²³ The quiver^(CU) rattles against its side,
    along with the flashing spear^(CV) and lance.
²⁴ In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground;
    it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.^(CW)
25 At the blast of the trumpet^(CX) it snorts, ‘Aha!’
    It catches the scent of battle from afar,
    the shout of commanders and the battle cry.^(CY)

²⁶ “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
    and spread its wings toward the south?^(CZ)
27 Does the eagle soar at your command
    and build its nest on high?^(DA)
28 It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;
    a rocky crag^(DB) is its stronghold.
²⁹ From there it looks for food;^(DC)
    its eyes detect it from afar.
³⁰ Its young ones feast on blood,
    and where the slain are, there it is.”^(DD)

² “Will the one who contends with the Almighty^(DF) correct him?^(DG)
    Let him who accuses God answer him!”^(DH)

⁴ “I am unworthy^(DI)—how can I reply to you?
    I put my hand over my mouth.^(DJ)
5 I spoke once, but I have no answer^(DK)—
    twice, but I will say no more.”^(DL)