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Who Can Understand God?

26 Then Job answered and said,

“What a help you are to (A)the one without power!
How you have saved the arm (B)without strength!
What counsel you have given to one without wisdom!
What sound wisdom you have abundantly made known!
To whom have you declared words?
And whose breath comes out from you?

“The [a](C)departed spirits tremble
Under the waters and their inhabitants.
Naked is (D)Sheol before Him,
And [b](E)Abaddon has no covering.
He (F)stretches out the north over what is formless
And hangs the earth on nothing.
He (G)wraps up the waters in His clouds,
And the cloud does not break out under them.
He [c](H)obscures the face of His [d]throne
And spreads His cloud over it.
10 He has marked 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 astonished at His rebuke.
12 He (K)quieted the sea with His power,
And by His (L)understanding He crushed (M)Rahab.
13 By His breath the (N)heavens are made beautiful;
His hand has pierced (O)the fleeing serpent.
14 Behold, these are the fringes of His ways;
And how only with a whisper of (P)a word do we hear of Him!
But His mighty (Q)thunder, who can understand?”

Footnotes

  1. Job 26:5 Or shades; Heb Rephaim
  2. Job 26:6 Lit the realm of destruction
  3. Job 26:9 Lit covers
  4. Job 26:9 Or full moon

Job’s Reply to Bildad

26 Then Job answered:

How you have helped(A) the powerless
and delivered the arm that is weak!
How you have counseled the unwise(B)
and thoroughly explained the path to success!
Who did you speak these words to?
Whose breath came out of your mouth?

The departed spirits tremble
beneath the waters and all that inhabit them.(C)
Sheol(D) is naked before God,
and Abaddon(E) has no covering.(F)
He stretches the northern skies over empty space;
He hangs the earth on nothing.
He wraps up the waters in His clouds,
yet the clouds do not burst beneath their weight.(G)
He obscures the view of His throne,
spreading His cloud over it.
10 He laid out the horizon on the surface of the waters(H)
at the boundary between light and darkness.
11 The pillars that hold up the sky tremble,
astounded at His rebuke.(I)
12 By His power He stirred(J) the sea,
and by His understanding He crushed Rahab.(K)
13 By His breath the heavens gained their beauty;
His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.[a](L)
14 These are but the fringes of His ways;
how faint is the word we hear of Him!
Who can understand His mighty thunder?

Footnotes

  1. Job 26:13 = Leviathan

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