See in Reader
1000 B
But now ask ... will declare to you
These 4 statements all express the idea that the beasts, the birds, the earth, and the fish understand God better than Job's friends do. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-irony)
you
This is plural in verses 7 and 8. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-you)
But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you
The command in the first part of the sentence functions as a hypothetical condition. Alternate translation: "But if you were to ask the beasts, they would teach you" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-imperative and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo)
ask the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you
The command in the first part of the sentence functions as a hypothetical condition. Alternate translation: if you were to ask the birds of the heavens, they would tell you" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-imperative and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo)