1Then the LORD spoke to Job from a whirlwind and said,
2“Who is this ignorant person saying these foolish things?[1]
3Prepare yourself for an attack! Get ready to answer the questions I will ask you.
4“Where were you when I made the earth? If you are so smart, answer me.
5And who decided how big the earth should be? Who measured it with a measuring line?
6What is the earth resting on? Who put the first stone in its place
7when the morning stars sang together and the angels[2] shouted with joy?
8“Who closed the flood gates as the sea gushed from the womb?
9Who covered it with clouds and wrapped it in darkness?
10I set the limits for the sea and put it behind locked gates.
11I said to the sea, ‘You can come this far, but no farther. This is where your proud waves will stop.’
12“Did you ever in your life command the morning to begin or the day to dawn?
13Did you ever tell the morning light to grab the earth and shake those who are evil out of their hiding places?
14The morning light makes the hills and valleys easy to see. When the daylight comes to the earth, the shapes of these places stand out like the folds of a coat. They take shape like soft clay that is pressed with a stamp.
15Evil people don’t like the daylight. When it shines bright, it keeps them from doing the bad things they do.
