Job 25-26
New American Standard Bible
Bildad Says Mankind Is Inferior
25 Then Bildad the Shuhite responded,
2 “(A)Dominion and awe [a]belong to Him
Who makes peace in (B)His heights.
3 Is there any number to (C)His troops?
And upon whom does His light not rise?
4 How then can mankind be (D)righteous with God?
Or how can anyone who is born of woman be (E)pure?
5 If even (F)the moon has no brightness
And the (G)stars are not pure in His sight,
6 How much less (H)man, that (I)maggot,
And a son of man, that worm!”
Job Rebukes Bildad
26 Then Job responded,
2 “What a help you are to [b](J)the weak!
You have saved the arm (K)without strength!
3 What advice you have given to one without wisdom!
What helpful insight you have abundantly [c]provided!
4 To whom have you uttered words?
And whose [d]spirit was expressed through you?
The Greatness of God
5 “The [e](L)departed spirits are made to tremble
Under the waters and their inhabitants.
6 [f](M)Sheol is naked before Him,
And [g](N)Abaddon has no covering.
7 He (O)stretches out the north over empty space
And hangs the earth on nothing.
8 He (P)wraps up the waters in His clouds,
And the cloud does not burst under them.
9 He [h](Q)obscures the face of the [i]full moon
And spreads His cloud over it.
10 He has inscribed a (R)circle on the surface of the waters
At the (S)boundary of light and darkness.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
And are amazed at His rebuke.
12 With His power He (T)quieted the sea,
And by His (U)understanding He shattered [j](V)Rahab.
13 By His breath the (W)heavens are [k]cleared;
His hand has pierced (X)the fleeing serpent.
14 Behold, these are the fringes of His ways;
And how faint (Y)a word we hear of Him!
But His mighty (Z)thunder, who can understand?”
Footnotes
- Job 25:2 Lit are with Him
- Job 26:2 Lit no strength
- Job 26:3 Lit made known
- Job 26:4 Lit breath has gone forth
- Job 26:5 Or shades; Heb Rephaim
- Job 26:6 I.e., the netherworld
- Job 26:6 I.e., the place of destruction
- Job 26:9 Lit covers
- Job 26:9 Or throne
- Job 26:12 I.e., a sea monster, not to be confused with Rahab in Joshua 2
- Job 26:13 Lit beauty
Job 25-26
King James Version
25 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places.
3 Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise?
4 How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?
5 Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.
6 How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?
26 But Job answered and said,
2 How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength?
3 How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom? and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is?
4 To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?
5 Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.
6 Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.
7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.
8 He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them.
9 He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it.
10 He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof.
12 He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud.
13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.
14 Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
