13 “There are those who rebel (A)against the light,
    who are not acquainted with its ways,
    and do not stay in its paths.
14 The murderer rises before it is light,
    that he (B)may kill the poor and needy,
    and in the night he is like a thief.
15 The eye of the adulterer also waits for (C)the twilight,
    saying, ‘No (D)eye will see me’;
    and he veils his face.
16 In the dark they (E)dig through houses;
    by day they shut themselves up;
    they do not know the light.
17 For (F)deep darkness is morning to all of them;
    for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness.

18 “You say, (G)‘Swift are they on the face of the waters;
    their portion is cursed in the land;
    no treader turns toward their vineyards.
19 Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters;
    so does (H)Sheol those who have sinned.
20 The womb forgets them;
    the worm finds them sweet;
they are (I)no longer remembered,
    so wickedness is broken like (J)a tree.’

21 “They wrong the barren, childless woman,
    and do no good to the widow.
22 Yet God[a] prolongs the life of the mighty by his power;
    they rise up when they despair of life.
23 He gives them security, and they are supported,
    and his (K)eyes are upon their ways.
24 They are exalted (L)a little while, and then (M)are gone;
    they are brought low and gathered up like all others;
    they are (N)cut off like the heads of grain.
25 If it is (O)not so, who will prove me a liar
    and show that there is nothing in what I say?”

Bildad Speaks: Man Cannot Be Righteous

25 Then (P)Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

“Dominion and fear are with God;[b]
    he makes peace in his high heaven.
Is there any number to his (Q)armies?
    Upon whom does his (R)light not arise?
How then can man be (S)in the right before God?
    How can he who is (T)born of woman be (U)pure?
Behold, even the moon is not bright,
    and the stars are not pure in his eyes;
(V)how much less man, who is (W)a maggot,
    and (X)the son of man, who is a worm!”

Job Replies: God's Majesty Is Unsearchable

26 Then Job answered and said:

“How you have (Y)helped him who has no power!
    How you have saved (Z)the arm that has no strength!
How you have (AA)counseled him who has no wisdom,
    and plentifully declared sound knowledge!
With whose help have you uttered words,
    and whose breath (AB)has come out from you?
The (AC)dead tremble
    under the waters and their inhabitants.
Sheol is (AD)naked before God,[c]
    and (AE)Abaddon has no covering.
He (AF)stretches out the north over (AG)the void
    and hangs the earth on nothing.
He (AH)binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
    and the cloud is not split open under them.
He covers the face of the full moon[d]
    and (AI)spreads over it his cloud.
10 He has inscribed (AJ)a circle on the face of the waters
    at the boundary between light and darkness.
11 (AK)The pillars of heaven tremble
    and are astounded at his (AL)rebuke.
12 By his power he (AM)stilled the sea;
    by his understanding he shattered (AN)Rahab.
13 (AO)By his wind the heavens were made fair;
    his hand pierced (AP)the fleeing serpent.
14 Behold, these are but the outskirts of his (AQ)ways,
    and how small (AR)a whisper do we hear of him!
    But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

Footnotes

  1. Job 24:22 Hebrew he
  2. Job 25:2 Hebrew him
  3. Job 26:6 Hebrew him
  4. Job 26:9 Or his throne

13 “There are those who rebel against the light,(A)
    who do not know its ways
    or stay in its paths.(B)
14 When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up,
    kills(C) the poor and needy,(D)
    and in the night steals forth like a thief.(E)
15 The eye of the adulterer(F) watches for dusk;(G)
    he thinks, ‘No eye will see me,’(H)
    and he keeps his face concealed.
16 In the dark, thieves break into houses,(I)
    but by day they shut themselves in;
    they want nothing to do with the light.(J)
17 For all of them, midnight is their morning;
    they make friends with the terrors(K) of darkness.(L)

18 “Yet they are foam(M) on the surface of the water;(N)
    their portion of the land is cursed,(O)
    so that no one goes to the vineyards.(P)
19 As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow,(Q)
    so the grave(R) snatches away those who have sinned.
20 The womb forgets them,
    the worm(S) feasts on them;(T)
the wicked are no longer remembered(U)
    but are broken like a tree.(V)
21 They prey on the barren and childless woman,
    and to the widow they show no kindness.(W)
22 But God drags away the mighty by his power;(X)
    though they become established,(Y) they have no assurance of life.(Z)
23 He may let them rest in a feeling of security,(AA)
    but his eyes(AB) are on their ways.(AC)
24 For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone;(AD)
    they are brought low and gathered up like all others;(AE)
    they are cut off like heads of grain.(AF)

25 “If this is not so, who can prove me false
    and reduce my words to nothing?”(AG)

Bildad

25 Then Bildad the Shuhite(AH) replied:

“Dominion and awe belong to God;(AI)
    he establishes order in the heights of heaven.(AJ)
Can his forces be numbered?
    On whom does his light not rise?(AK)
How then can a mortal be righteous before God?
    How can one born of woman be pure?(AL)
If even the moon(AM) is not bright
    and the stars are not pure in his eyes,(AN)
how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot—
    a human being,(AO) who is only a worm!”(AP)

Job

26 Then Job replied:

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

“The dead are in deep anguish,(AU)
    those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
The realm of the dead(AV) is naked before God;
    Destruction[a](AW) lies uncovered.(AX)
He spreads out the northern skies(AY) over empty space;
    he suspends the earth over nothing.(AZ)
He wraps up the waters(BA) in his clouds,(BB)
    yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
He covers the face of the full moon,
    spreading his clouds(BC) over it.
10 He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters(BD)
    for a boundary between light and darkness.(BE)
11 The pillars of the heavens quake,(BF)
    aghast at his rebuke.
12 By his power he churned up the sea;(BG)
    by his wisdom(BH) he cut Rahab(BI) to pieces.
13 By his breath the skies(BJ) became fair;
    his hand pierced the gliding serpent.(BK)
14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
    how faint the whisper(BL) we hear of him!(BM)
    Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”(BN)

Footnotes

  1. Job 26:6 Hebrew Abaddon

Greeting

Paul, (A)called (B)by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those (C)sanctified in Christ Jesus, (D)called to be saints together with all those who in every place (E)call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

(F)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

I (G)give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way (H)you were enriched in him in all (I)speech and all knowledge— even as (J)the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you (K)wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, (L)who will sustain you to the end, (M)guiltless (N)in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (O)God is faithful, by whom you were called into the (P)fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Divisions in the Church

10 I appeal to you, brothers,[a] by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no (Q)divisions among you, but that you be united (R)in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is (S)quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that (T)each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow (U)Apollos,” or “I follow (V)Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 (W)Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you (X)baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except (Y)Crispus and (Z)Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also (AA)the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and (AB)not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:10 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 11, 26

Paul, called to be an apostle(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,(B) and our brother Sosthenes,(C)

To the church of God(D) in Corinth,(E) to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called(F) to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name(G) of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(H)

Thanksgiving

I always thank my God for you(I) because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched(J) in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge(K) God thus confirming our testimony(L) about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift(M) as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.(N) He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless(O) on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.(P) God is faithful,(Q) who has called you(R) into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.(S)

A Church Divided Over Leaders

10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,[a](T) in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you,(U) but that you be perfectly united(V) in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household(W) have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”;(X) another, “I follow Apollos”;(Y) another, “I follow Cephas[b]”;(Z) still another, “I follow Christ.”

13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?(AA) 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus(AB) and Gaius,(AC) 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household(AD) of Stephanas;(AE) beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize,(AF) but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom(AG) and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:10 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verses 11 and 26; and in 2:1; 3:1; 4:6; 6:8; 7:24, 29; 10:1; 11:33; 12:1; 14:6, 20, 26, 39; 15:1, 6, 50, 58; 16:15, 20.
  2. 1 Corinthians 1:12 That is, Peter