JOB 38:3 Parallel View

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The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

OET (OET-RV) Get ready to battle[fn]like a man,
 ⇔ and I’ll question you and you can answer me.

38:3 In a robe-wearing culture, it was normal for a man to tuck the bottom of his robe up into his belt to clear his legs to be able to move more freely—perhaps to run, but also to fight.

Key: yellow:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Now gird up your loins like a man,
⇔ and I will question you and you will inform me.

UST I am going to ask you some questions,
⇔ so get ready to answer them directly.

BSB Now brace yourself [fn] like a man;
⇔ I will question you, and you shall inform Me.[fn]

38:3 Hebrew gird up your loins

38:3 Cited in Job 42:4

OEB Gird up they loins like a man:
⇔ I would ask of thee – do thou enlighten Me.

WEB Brace yourself like a man,
⇔ for I will question you, then you answer me!

MSG ^(1-11)And now, finally, God answered Job from the eye of a violent storm. He said:
  “Why do you confuse the issue?
  Why do you talk without knowing what you’re talking about?
Pull yourself together, Job!
  Up on your feet! Stand tall!
I have some questions for you,
  and I want some straight answers.
Where were you when I created the earth?
  Tell me, since you know so much!
Who decided on its size? Certainly you’ll know that!
  Who came up with the blueprints and measurements?
How was its foundation poured,
  and who set the cornerstone,
While the morning stars sang in chorus
  and all the angels shouted praise?
And who took charge of the ocean
  when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb?
That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds,
  and tucked it in safely at night.
Then I made a playpen for it,
  a strong playpen so it couldn’t run loose,
And said, ‘Stay here, this is your place.
  Your wild tantrums are confined to this place.’

NET Get ready for a difficult task like a man;
 ⇔ I will question you
 ⇔ and you will inform me!

LSV Now gird your loins as a man,
And I ask you, and you cause Me to know.

FBV Prepare yourself, be strong,[fn] for I am going to question you, and you must answer me.

38:3 Literally, “like a man.”

T4T I want to ask you some questions,
⇔ so, just like men prepare themselves for a difficult task [MET],
⇔ prepare to answer my questions.

LEB • [fn] and I will question you, and you shall declare to me.

?:? Literally “Gird up like a man your loins”

BBE Get your strength together like a man of war; I will put questions to you, and you will give me the answers.

MOF No MOF JOB book available

JPS Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto Me.

ASV Gird up now thy loins like a man;
 ⇔ For I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

DRA Gird up thy loins like a man: I will ask thee, and answer thou me.

YLT Gird, I pray thee, as a man, thy loins, And I ask thee, and cause thou Me to know.

DBY Gird up now thy loins like a man; and I will demand of thee, and inform thou me.

RV Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

WBS Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

KJB Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.[fn]
(Gird up now thy/your loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou/you me.)

38.3 answer…: Heb. make me know

BB Girde vp thy loynes lyke a man: for I wyl question with thee, see thou geue me a direct aunswere.
(Girde up thy/your loins like a man: for I will question with thee, see thou/you give me a direct aunswere.)

GNV Girde vp nowe thy loynes like a man: I will demande of thee and declare thou vnto me.
(Girde up now thy/your loins like a man: I will demande of thee and declare thou/you unto me. )

CB Gyrde vp thy loynes like a ma, for I will question the, se thou geue me a dyrecte answere.
(Gyrde up thy/your loins like a ma, for I will question them, see thou/you give me a dyrecte answere.)

WYC Girde thou as a man thi leendis; Y schal axe thee, and answere thou to me.
(Girde thou/you as a man thy/your leendis; I shall axe thee, and answer thou/you to me.)

LUT Gürte deine Lenden wie ein Mann; ich will dich fragen, lehre mich!
(Gürte your Lenden like a Mann; I will you/yourself fragen, lehre mich!)

CLV Accinge sicut vir lumbos tuos: interrogabo te, et responde mihi.
(Accinge like man lumbos tuos: interrogabo you(sg), and responde mihi. )

BRN Gird thy loins like a man; and I will ask thee, and do thou answer me.

BrLXX Ζώσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου· ἐρωτήσω δέ σε, σὺ δέ μοι ἀποκρίθητι.
(Zōsai hōsper anaʸr taʸn osfun sou; erōtaʸsō de se, su de moi apokrithaʸti. )

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

אֱזָר & חֲלָצֶ֑י⁠ךָ

gird_up & loins,yourself

Yahweh is speaking as if he literally wanted Job to gird up his loins, that is, to tuck the bottom of his robe into a belt so that he could move freely, as a soldier would do before going into battle. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “get ready for a difficult contest”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

כְ⁠גֶ֣בֶר

like,man

Yahweh is using a particular word for man that can, in contexts such as this one, emphasize the strength and valor of a warrior. The point of this comparison is that Job should be brave, as a solider must be when going into battle. Yahweh is not using the term man to suggest that men are strong and that women are weak. Alternate translation: “like a brave person” or “as a soldier would do when going into battle”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / irony

וְ֝⁠אֶשְׁאָלְ⁠ךָ֗ וְ⁠הוֹדִיעֵֽ⁠נִי

and,question,you and,declare,me

Yahweh is answering Job with his own words. In 13:22, Job said to God (who was not visibly present at the time), “And call, and I will answer, or I will speak, and answer me.” Yahweh is telling Job that he will take the first option: He, Yahweh, will “call” (ask questions) and Job can respond. However, Yahweh says something slightly different than Job did. He says that Job can inform him. For emphasis, Yahweh is actually saying the opposite of what he means. He already knows everything, so he does not need Job to provide him with information that he lacks. If a speaker of your language would not say the opposite of what he means for emphasis, in your translation you could indicate what Yahweh actually means. Alternate translation: “and I will question you and you can tell me what you think I do not already know”

Parallel JOB 38:3