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Job’s Reply

26 Job replied,

“Bildad, you haven’t helped people who aren’t strong!
    You haven’t saved people who are weak!
You haven’t offered advice to those who aren’t wise!
    In fact, you haven’t understood anything at all!
Who helped you say these things?
    Whose spirit was speaking through you?

“The spirits of the dead are suffering greatly.
    So are those that are under the waters.
    And so are all those that live in them.
The place of the dead is naked in the sight of God.
    The grave lies open in front of him.
He spreads out the northern skies over empty space.
    He hangs the earth over nothing.
He wraps up water in his clouds.
    They are heavy, but they don’t burst.
He covers the face of the full moon.
    He spreads his clouds over it.
10 He marks out the place where the sky meets the sea.
    He marks out the boundary between light and darkness.
11 The pillars of the heavens shake.
    They are terrified when his anger blazes out.
12 With his power he stirred up the oceans.
    In his wisdom he cut the sea monster Rahab to pieces.
13 His breath made the skies bright and clear.
    His hand wounded the serpent that glides through the sea.
14 Those are only on the edges of what he does.
    They are only the soft whispers that we hear from him.
    So who can understand how very powerful he is?”

Job

26 Then Job replied:

“How you have helped the powerless!(A)
    How you have saved the arm that is feeble!(B)
What advice you have offered to one without wisdom!
    And what great insight(C) you have displayed!
Who has helped you utter these words?
    And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?(D)

“The dead are in deep anguish,(E)
    those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
The realm of the dead(F) is naked before God;
    Destruction[a](G) lies uncovered.(H)
He spreads out the northern skies(I) over empty space;
    he suspends the earth over nothing.(J)
He wraps up the waters(K) in his clouds,(L)
    yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
He covers the face of the full moon,
    spreading his clouds(M) over it.
10 He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters(N)
    for a boundary between light and darkness.(O)
11 The pillars of the heavens quake,(P)
    aghast at his rebuke.
12 By his power he churned up the sea;(Q)
    by his wisdom(R) he cut Rahab(S) to pieces.
13 By his breath the skies(T) became fair;
    his hand pierced the gliding serpent.(U)
14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
    how faint the whisper(V) we hear of him!(W)
    Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”(X)

Footnotes

  1. Job 26:6 Hebrew Abaddon