The Lord has been listening and taking note (35:13); now he speaks. Job’s friends thought there was no need for God to speak. Job, on the other hand, did; he has asked him for either a list of charges or a verdict. Everyone is surprised. The Lord enters the debate as one more participant and responds with two speeches (38:1-40:2; 40:6-41:26), to which Job, in turn, will react briefly with two others (40:3-5; 42:1-6). The Lord does not answer any of the questions raised; in fact, his words offer only a series of counter-questions intended to bring Job out of his narrow perspective and open him up to a broader horizon.