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26 Then Job answered,

“How have you helped him who is without power!
    How have you saved the arm that has no strength!
How have you counseled him who has no wisdom,
    and plentifully declared sound knowledge!
To whom have you uttered words?
    Whose spirit came out of you?

“The departed spirits tremble,
    those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
Sheol[a] is naked before God,
    and Abaddon[b] has no covering.
He stretches out the north over empty space,
    and hangs the earth on nothing.
He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
    and the cloud is not burst under them.
He encloses the face of his throne,
    and spreads his cloud on it.
10 He has described a boundary on the surface of the waters,
    and to the confines of light and darkness.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
    and are astonished at his rebuke.
12 He stirs up the sea with his power,
    and by his understanding he strikes through Rahab.
13 By his Spirit the heavens are garnished.
    His hand has pierced the swift serpent.
14 Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways.
    How small a whisper do we hear of him!
    But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

Footnotes

  1. 26:6 Sheol is the place of the dead.
  2. 26:6 Abaddon means Destroyer.

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