2  “Shall a faultfinder ^ycontend with the Almighty?

He who argues with God, let him answer it.”

4  “Behold, I am ^zof small account; what shall I answer you?

^aI lay my hand on my mouth.

5  I have spoken ^bonce, and I will not answer;

^btwice, but I will proceed no further.”

7  ^d“Dress for action¹ like a man;

^eI will question you, and you make it known to me.

8  Will you even put me in the wrong?

Will you condemn me that ^fyou may be in the right?

9  Have you ^gan arm like God,

and can you thunder with ^ha voice like his?

10  “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;

ⁱclothe yourself with glory and splendor.

11  Pour out the overflowings of your anger,

and look on everyone who is ^jproud and abase him.

12  Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low

and ^ktread down the wicked ^lwhere they stand.

13  ^mHide them all in ⁿthe dust together;

bind their faces in the world below.²

14  Then will I also acknowledge to you

that your own ^oright hand can save you.

15  “Behold, Behemoth,³

which I made as I made you;

he eats ^pgrass like an ox.

16  Behold, his strength in his loins,

and his power in the muscles of his belly.

17  He makes his tail stiff like a cedar;

the sinews of his thighs are knit together.

18  His bones are tubes of bronze,

his limbs like bars of iron.

19  “He is ^qthe first of ^rthe works⁴ of God;

let him who made him bring near his sword!

20  For the mountains yield food for him

where all the wild beasts play.

21  Under the lotus plants he lies,

in the shelter of ^sthe reeds and in the marsh.

22  For his shade the lotus trees cover him;

the willows of the brook surround him.

23  Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened;

he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.

24  Can one take him by his eyes,⁵

or pierce his nose with a snare?