Will You Correct the Almighty?
Job puts his hand over his mouth and stops talking. Our Father presses anyway: would you annul my justice to prove yourself right? Then he points to Behemoth, eating grass, unbothered by a river surging against his mouth, a creature only its Maker can approach.
40 1Then our Father said to Job:
2"Will the one who disputes with the Almighty correct him? Let my accuser answer it."
Job's Hand Over His Mouth
3Then Job answered our Father: 4"See, I am unworthy—how can I answer you? I put my hand over my mouth. 5I have spoken once—I will not reply; twice—I will say no more."
6Then our Father answered Job out of the storm:
7"Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you will answer me. 8Would you really annul my justice? Would you condemn me so that you may be right? 9Do you have an arm like mine? Can you thunder with a voice like mine? 10Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity; clothe yourself with honor and splendor. 11Pour out the fury of your anger; look on everyone who is proud and bring him low. 12Look on everyone who is proud and humble him; crush the wicked where they stand. 13Bury them all in the dust together; shroud their faces in the grave. 14Then even I would praise you, for your own right hand could save you. 15Look at Behemoth, which I made just as I made you; he eats grass like an ox. a a v15 Behemoth is a massive beast—likely the hippopotamus or a great land animal—lifted up here as a wonder of our Father's creation. 16Look—his strength is in his loins, and his power in the muscles of his belly. 17He stiffens his tail like a cedar; the tendons of his thighs are tightly knit together. 18His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like bars of iron. 19He is the first of my works; only his Maker can approach him with the sword. 20The mountains yield their produce for him, where all the wild animals play. 21Under the lotus plants he lies down, in the cover of the reeds and the marsh. 22The lotus plants cover him with their shade; the willows of the brook surround him. 23If the river rages, he is not alarmed; he is confident though the Jordan surges against his mouth. 24Can anyone capture him while he watches, or pierce his nose with a snare?"
