Job 26
EasyEnglish Bible
Job replies to Bildad[a]
26 Then Job replied. This is what he said:
2 ‘Do not think that you have helped me,
a weak and helpless man.
Nothing that you have said makes me feel stronger.
3 What good advice have you given me
to make me wise?
You have not really shown me how clever you are!
4 Someone must have helped you to say these wise words.
Who has put all these thoughts in your minds?
5 Dead people shake with fear.
They are under the deep waters.
6 God sees everything that happens
in the place of dead people.
Nothing can hide that terrible place from him.
7 He puts the skies in their place in the north,
so that they cover empty space.
He hangs the earth in the skies
and it stays there.
8 He fills the clouds with water.
They become heavy but they do not break.
9 When the moon is big and round, he hides it.
He causes clouds to cover it.
10 He marks the border between the sea and the sky.
It is the place where the night finishes and the day begins.
11 When God is angry,
he shouts at the pillars under the sky.
When they hear his command,
they shake with fear.
12 He used his power to control the sea.
He used his wisdom to destroy Rahab,
the great sea monster.
13 He used his breath to make the sky become bright.
With his hand he cut the great sea snake
as it ran away.
14 These are only a few of the things that God does.
We only know about a few small things.
If he used all of his power,
we could never understand.’
Job 26
Authorized (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?
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?
Job 26
Evangelical Heritage Version
Round Three: Job’s Second Speech
26 Then Job responded:
2 How marvelously you have helped the helpless!
How wonderfully you have saved the arm that has no strength!
3 What great advice you have given to the one who lacks wisdom!
What great insight you have revealed!
4 Who helped you proclaim these words?
Whose breath[a] came out of your mouth?
5 The spirits of the dead writhe in pain underneath the waters,
along with all those who dwell there.
6 Hell[b] is naked before God,
and there is nowhere to hide in the place of destruction.[c]
7 He stretches out the northern sky across the emptiness.
He suspends the earth on nothing.
8 He encloses water in his clouds,
but the clouds are not broken apart by its weight.
9 He dims the face of the full moon by veiling it with his clouds.
10 He drew a circle around the surface of the waters.
It marks the boundary of light and darkness.
11 The pillars of the heavens shake.
They are stunned by his rebuke.
12 By his power he calmed[d] the sea.
By his understanding he smashed Rahab.[e]
13 By his breath the skies became beautiful.
His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.[f]
14 But all these are just the fringe of his ways!
How faint a whisper we hear of him!
Who understands his power, which is displayed in the thunder?
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