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Job’s Ninth Speech: A Response to Bildad

26 Then[a] Job answered and said,

“How you[b] have helped one who has no power![c]
How you[d] have assisted the arm that has no strength![e]
How you[f] have advised one who has no wisdom![g]
And what sound wisdom you[h] have made known in abundance![i]
With whose help[j] have you[k] uttered words,
and whose breath has come forth from you?[l]
“The spirits of the dead tremble
below the waters and their inhabitants.
Sheol is naked before him,
and there is no covering for Abaddon.
He stretches out the north over emptiness;
he hangs the earth over nothing.[m]
He ties up the water in its clouds,
and the cloud is not torn open beneath it.[n]
He covers the face of the full moon;[o]
he spreads his cloud over it.
10 He has described a circle[p] on the face of the water
between light and darkness.[q]
11 The pillars of heaven tremble,
and they are astounded at his rebuke.
12 By his power he stilled the sea,
and by his understanding he struck down Rahab.
13 By his breath the heavens were made clear;[r]
his hand pierced the fleeing snake.
14 Look, these are the outer fringes of his ways,
and how faint is the word[s] that we hear of him!
But[t] who can understand the thunder of his power?”

Footnotes

  1. Job 26:1 Hebrew “And”
  2. Job 26:2 Singular
  3. Job 26:2 Literally “for not power”
  4. Job 26:2 Singular
  5. Job 26:2 Literally “not strength”
  6. Job 26:3 Singular
  7. Job 26:3 Literally “for not wisdom”
  8. Job 26:3 Singular
  9. Job 26:3 Literally “as far as the multitude,” or “for multitude”
  10. Job 26:4 Literally “With whom”
  11. Job 26:4 Singular
  12. Job 26:4 Singular
  13. Job 26:7 Literally “over not what”
  14. Job 26:8 Hebrew “them”; antecedent for “them” is “water” (literally “waters”)
  15. Job 26:9 Text reads “throne”; “full moon” is based on a change of the vowels
  16. Job 26:10 NRSV; literally “a limit he has circled”
  17. Job 26:10 Literally “at the end of light with darkness”
  18. Job 26:13 Literally “heavens clearness”
  19. Job 26:14 Literally “how whisper of word”
  20. Job 26:14 Hebrew “And”

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