Job 26
Contemporary English Version
Job's Reply to Bildad
You Have Really Been Helpful
26 Job said:
2 You have really been helpful
to someone weak and weary.
3 You have given great advice
and wonderful wisdom
to someone truly in need.
4 How can anyone possibly speak
with such understanding?
5 Remember the terrible trembling
of those in the world of the dead
below the mighty ocean.
6 Nothing in that land
of death and destruction
is hidden from God,
7 who hung the northern sky
and suspended the earth
on empty space.
8 God stores water in clouds,
but they don't burst,
9 and he wraps them around
the face of the moon.
10 On the surface of the ocean,
God has drawn a boundary line
between light and darkness.
11 And columns supporting the sky
tremble at his command.
12 By his power and wisdom,
God conquered the force
of the mighty ocean.[a]
13 The heavens became bright
when he breathed,
and the escaping sea monster[b]
died at his hands.
14 These things are merely a whisper
of God's power at work.
How little we would understand
if this whisper
ever turned into thunder!
Footnotes
- 26.12 the force of the mighty ocean: The Hebrew text has “the ocean … Rahab.” In this passage the sea monster Rahab stands for the fearsome power of the ocean (see the notes at 3.8 and 9.13).
- 26.13 sea monster: The Hebrew text has “snake,” which probably stands for some kind of fearsome sea monster, such as Leviathan (see Isaiah 27.1).
Job 26
New American Standard Bible
Job Rebukes Bildad
26 Then Job responded,
2 “What a help you are to [a](A)the weak!
You have saved the arm (B)without strength!
3 What advice you have given to one without wisdom!
What helpful insight you have abundantly [b]provided!
4 To whom have you uttered words?
And whose [c]spirit was expressed through you?
The Greatness of God
5 “The [d](C)departed spirits are made to tremble
Under the waters and their inhabitants.
6 [e](D)Sheol is naked before Him,
And [f](E)Abaddon has no covering.
7 He (F)stretches out the north over empty space
And hangs the earth on nothing.
8 He (G)wraps up the waters in His clouds,
And the cloud does not burst under them.
9 He [g](H)obscures the face of the [h]full moon
And spreads His cloud over it.
10 He has inscribed 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 amazed at His rebuke.
12 With His power He (K)quieted the sea,
And by His (L)understanding He shattered [i](M)Rahab.
13 By His breath the (N)heavens are [j]cleared;
His hand has pierced (O)the fleeing serpent.
14 Behold, these are the fringes of His ways;
And how faint (P)a word we hear of Him!
But His mighty (Q)thunder, who can understand?”
Footnotes
- 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 26
New King James Version
Job: Man’s Frailty and God’s Majesty
26 But Job answered and said:
2 “How have you helped him who is without power?
How have you saved the arm that has no strength?
3 How have you counseled one who has no wisdom?
And how have you declared sound advice to many?
4 To whom have you uttered words?
And whose spirit came from you?
5 “The dead tremble,
Those under the waters and those inhabiting them.
6 (A)Sheol is naked before Him,
And Destruction has no covering.
7 (B)He stretches out the north over empty space;
He hangs the earth on nothing.
8 (C)He binds up the water in His thick clouds,
Yet the clouds [a]are not broken under it.
9 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?”
Job 26
King James Version
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?
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
