God's second speech and Job's responses

The LORD continues

I am the LORD All-Powerful

1-2I am the LORD All-Powerful,

but you have argued

that I am wrong.

Now you must answer me.

3Job said to the LORD:

4Who am I to answer you?

5I did speak once or twice,

but never again.

6Then out of the storm

the LORD said to Job:

7Face me and answer

the questions I ask!

8Are you trying to prove

that you are innocent

by accusing me of injustice?

9Do you have a powerful arm

and a thundering voice

that compare with mine?

10If so, then surround yourself

with glory and majesty.

11-12Show your furious anger!

Throw down and crush

all who are proud and evil.

13Wrap them in grave clothes

and bury them together

in the dusty soil.

14Do this, and I will agree

that you have won

this argument.

I created you

15I created both you

and the hippopotamus.40.15 the hippopotamus: The Hebrew text has “Behemoth”, which was sometimes understood to be a sea monster like Rahab (9.13; 26.12), Leviathan (3.8; 41.1), and Tannin (7.12).

It eats only grass like an ox,

16but look at the mighty muscles

in its body 17and legs.

Its tail is like a cedar tree,

and its thighs are thick.

18The bones in its legs

are like bronze or iron.

19I made it more powerful

than any other creature,

yet I am stronger still.

20Undisturbed, it eats grass

while the other animals

play nearby.40.20 nearby: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 20.

21-22It rests in the shade of trees

along the river bank

or hides among reeds

in the swamp.

23It remains calm and unafraid

with the River Jordan rushing

and splashing in its face.

24There is no way to capture

a hippopotamus—

not even by hooking its nose

or blinding its eyes.