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Job Speaks: My Friends Have Offered Useless Advice

26 Then Job replied ⌞to his friends⌟,

“You have helped the person who has no power
and saved the arm that isn’t strong.
You have advised the person who has no wisdom
and offered so much assistance.
To whom have you spoken ⌞these⌟ words,
and whose spirit has spoken through you?

God’s Power over Creation

“The souls of the dead tremble beneath the water,
and so do the creatures living there.
Sheol is naked in God’s presence,
and Abaddon has no clothing.

“He stretches out his heavens[a] over empty space.
He hangs the earth on nothing whatsoever.
He holds the water in his thick clouds,
and the clouds don’t ⌞even⌟ split under its ⌞weight⌟.
He covers his throne[b]
by spreading his cloud over it.
10 He marks the horizon on the surface of the water
at the boundary where light meets dark.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
and are astonished when he yells at them.
12 With his power he calmed the sea.
With his insight he killed Rahab ⌞the sea monster⌟.
13 With his wind the sky was cleared.
With his hand he stabbed the fleeing snake.

14 “These are only glimpses of what he does.
We ⌞only⌟ hear a whisper of him!
Who can understand the thunder of his power?”

Footnotes

  1. 26:7 Or “the north.”
  2. 26:9 Or “the face of the moon.”

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