Job 26-28

New American Standard Bible

² “What a help you are to ^[a](A)the weak!
You have saved the arm ^(B)without strength!
³ What advice you have given to one without wisdom!
What helpful insight you have abundantly ^[b]provided!
⁴ To whom have you uttered words?
And whose ^[c]spirit was expressed through you?

⁵ “The ^[d](C)departed spirits are made to tremble
Under the waters and their inhabitants.
^6 [e](D)Sheol is naked before Him,
And ^[f](E)Abaddon has no covering.
⁷ He ^(F)stretches out the north over empty space
And hangs the earth on nothing.
⁸ He ^(G)wraps up the waters in His clouds,
And the cloud does not burst under them.
⁹ He ^[g](H)obscures the face of the ^[h]full moon
And spreads His cloud over it.
¹⁰ He has inscribed a ^(I)circle on the surface of the waters
At the ^(J)boundary of light and darkness.
¹¹ The pillars of heaven tremble
And are amazed at His rebuke.
¹² With His power He ^(K)quieted the sea,
And by His ^(L)understanding He shattered ^[i](M)Rahab.
¹³ By His breath the ^(N)heavens are ^[j]cleared;
His hand has pierced ^(O)the fleeing serpent.
¹⁴ Behold, these are the fringes of His ways;
And how faint ^(P)a word we hear of Him!
But His mighty ^(Q)thunder, who can understand?”

² “As God lives, ^(S)who has taken away my right,
And the Almighty, ^(T)who has embittered my soul,
³ For as long as ^[k]life is in me,
And the ^[l](U)breath of God is in my nostrils,
⁴ My lips certainly will not speak unjustly,
Nor will ^(V)my tongue mutter deceit.
⁵ Far be it from me that I should declare you right;
Until I die, ^(W)I will not ^[m]give up my integrity.
⁶ I have ^(X)kept hold of my righteousness and will not let it go.
My heart does not rebuke any of my days.

⁷ “May my enemy be as the wicked,
And ^[n]my opponent as the criminal.
⁸ For what is ^(Y)the hope of the godless when he makes an end of life,
When God requires ^(Z)his ^[o]life?
⁹ Will God ^(AA)hear his cry
When ^(AB)distress comes upon him?
¹⁰ Or will he take ^(AC)pleasure in the Almighty?
Will he call on God at all times?
¹¹ I will instruct you in the ^[p]power of God;
What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
¹² Behold, all of you have seen it;
Why then do you talk of nothing?

28 “Certainly there is a ^[w]mine for silver
And a place ^[x]for refining gold.
² Iron is taken from the dust,
And copper is smelted from rock.
³ Man puts an end to darkness,
And ^(AS)to the farthest limit he searches out
The rock in gloom and deep shadow.
⁴ He ^[y]sinks a shaft away from ^[z]inhabited areas,
Forgotten by the foot;
They hang and swing, away from people.
^5 [aa]From the earth comes food,
And underneath, it is turned over like fire.
⁶ Its rocks are the ^[ab]source of sapphires,
And its dust contains gold.
⁷ No bird of prey knows the path,
Nor has the falcon’s eye caught sight of it.
⁸ The ^[ac]proud animals have not trodden it,
Nor has the lion passed over it.
⁹ He puts his hand on the flint;
He overturns the mountains at the ^[ad]base.
¹⁰ He carves out channels through the rocks,
And his eye sees anything precious.
¹¹ He dams up the streams from ^[ae]flowing,
And brings to light what is hidden.

¹² “But ^(AT)where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
^13 (AU)Mankind does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
¹⁴ The ocean depth says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
^15 (AV)Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it,
Nor can silver be weighed as its price.
¹⁶ It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx, or sapphire.
^17 (AW)Gold or glass cannot equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for articles of pure gold.
¹⁸ Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned;
And the acquisition of ^(AX)wisdom is more valuable than pearls.
¹⁹ The topaz of ^[af]Cush cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in ^(AY)pure gold.
^20 (AZ)Where then does wisdom come from?
And where is this place of understanding?
²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of every living creature,
And concealed from the birds of the sky.
^22 [ag](BA)Abaddon and Death say,
‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’