Job: Man’s Frailty and God’s Majesty

26 But Job answered and said:

“How have you helped him who is without power?
How have you saved the arm that has no strength?
How have you counseled one who has no wisdom?
And how have you declared sound advice to many?
To whom have you uttered words?
And whose spirit came from you?

“The dead tremble,
Those under the waters and those inhabiting them.
(A)Sheol is naked before Him,
And Destruction has no covering.
(B)He stretches out the north over empty space;
He hangs the earth on nothing.
(C)He binds up the water in His thick clouds,
Yet the clouds [a]are not broken under it.
He covers the face of His throne,
And spreads His cloud over it.
10 (D)He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters,
At the boundary of light and darkness.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble,
And are [b]astonished at His rebuke.
12 (E)He stirs up the sea with His power,
And by His understanding He breaks up [c]the storm.
13 (F)By His Spirit He adorned the heavens;
His hand pierced (G)the fleeing serpent.
14 Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?”

Footnotes

  1. Job 26:8 do not break
  2. Job 26:11 amazed
  3. Job 26:12 Heb. rahab

26 Then Job answered and said,

How hast thou helped him that is without power!
How hast thou saved the arm that hath no strength!
How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom,
And plentifully declared sound knowledge!
To whom hast thou uttered words?
And whose [a]spirit came forth from thee?

[b]They that are deceased tremble
Beneath the waters and the inhabitants thereof.
Sheol is naked before [c]God,
And [d]Abaddon hath no covering.
He stretcheth out the north over empty space,
And hangeth the earth [e]upon nothing.
He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds;
And the cloud is not rent under them.
He incloseth the face of his throne,
And spreadeth his cloud upon it.
10 He hath described a boundary upon the face of the waters,
Unto the confines of light and darkness.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
And are astonished at his rebuke.
12 He [f]stirreth up the sea with his power,
And by his understanding he smiteth through Rahab.
13 By his Spirit the heavens are [g]garnished;
His hand hath pierced the [h]swift serpent.
14 Lo, these are but the outskirts of his ways:
And [i]how small a whisper [j]do we hear of him!
But the thunder of his [k]power who can understand?

Footnotes

  1. Job 26:4 Hebrew breath.
  2. Job 26:5 Or, The shades. Hebrew The Rephaim.
  3. Job 26:6 Hebrew him.
  4. Job 26:6 Or, Destruction
  5. Job 26:7 Or, over
  6. Job 26:12 Or, stilleth
  7. Job 26:13 Hebrew beauty.
  8. Job 26:13 Or, fleeing. Or, gliding
  9. Job 26:14 Or, how little a portion
  10. Job 26:14 Or, is heard
  11. Job 26:14 Or, mighty deeds