Job 25-27
Good News Translation
25 1-2 God is powerful; all must stand in awe of him;
he keeps his heavenly kingdom in peace.
3 Can anyone count the angels who serve him?
Is there any place where God's light does not shine?
4 Can anyone be righteous or pure in God's sight?
5 In his eyes even the moon is not bright,
or the stars pure.
6 Then what about a human being, that worm, that insect?
What is a human life worth in God's eyes?
26 1-2 What a big help you are to me—
poor, weak man that I am!
3 You give such good advice
and share your knowledge with a fool like me!
4 Who do you think will hear all your words?
Who inspired you to speak like this?
[Bildad][a]
5 The spirits of the dead tremble
in the waters under the earth.
6 The world of the dead lies open to God;
no covering shields it from his sight.
7 God stretched out the northern sky
and hung the earth in empty space.
8 It is God who fills the clouds with water
and keeps them from bursting with the weight.
9 He hides the full moon behind a cloud.
10 He divided light from darkness
by a circle drawn on the face of the sea.
11 When he threatens the pillars that hold up the sky,
they shake and tremble with fear.
12 It is his strength that conquered the sea;[b]
by his skill he destroyed the monster Rahab.[c]
13 It is his breath that made the sky clear,
and his hand that killed the escaping monster.[d]
14 But these are only hints of his power,
only the whispers that we have heard.
Who can know how truly great God is?
27 1-2 I swear by the living Almighty God,
who refuses me justice and makes my life bitter—
3 as long as God gives me breath,
4 my lips will never say anything evil,
my tongue will never tell a lie.
5 I will never say that you men are right;
I will insist on my innocence to my dying day.
6 I will never give up my claim to be right;
my conscience is clear.
7 May all who oppose me and fight against me
be punished like the wicked and the unrighteous.
8 What hope is there for the godless
in the hour when God demands their life?
9 When trouble comes, will God hear their cries?
10 They should have desired the joy he gives;
they should have constantly prayed to him.
11 Let me teach you how great is God's power,
and explain what Almighty God has planned.
12 But no, after all, you have seen for yourselves;
so why do you talk such nonsense?
[Zophar][e]
13 This is how Almighty God
punishes wicked, violent people.
14 They may have many sons,
but all will be killed in war;
their children never have enough to eat.
15 Those who survive will die from disease,
and even their widows will not mourn their death.
16 The wicked may have too much silver to count
and more clothes than anyone needs;
17 but some good person will wear the clothes,
and someone honest will get the silver.
18 The wicked build houses like a spider's web[f]
or like the hut of a slave guarding the fields.
19 One last time[g] they will lie down rich,
and when they wake up, they will find their wealth gone.
20 Terror will strike like a sudden flood;
a wind in the night will blow them away;
21 the east wind will sweep them from their homes;
22 it will blow down on them without pity
while they try their best to escape.
23 The wind howls at them as they run,
frightening them with destructive power.
Footnotes
- Job 26:5 Bildad is not named in the text, but this speech is usually assigned to him.
- Job 26:12 A reference to an ancient story in which the sea fought against God.
- Job 26:12 See 9.13.
- Job 26:13 See 9.8.
- Job 27:13 Zophar is not named in the text, but this speech is usually assigned to him.
- Job 27:18 Some ancient translations spider's web; Hebrew moth or bird's nest.
- Job 27:19 Some ancient translations One last time; Hebrew They will not be gathered.
Job 25-27
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Bildad Speaks: How Can a Mortal Be Righteous before God?
25 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
2 “Dominion and fear are with God;[a]
he makes peace in his high heaven.(A)
3 Is there any number to his armies?
Upon whom does his light not arise?(B)
4 How then can a mortal be righteous before God?
How can one born of woman be pure?(C)
5 If even the moon is not bright
and the stars are not pure in his sight,(D)
6 how much less a mortal, who is a maggot,
and a human being, who is a worm!”(E)
Job Replies: God’s Majesty Is Unsearchable
26 Then Job answered:
2 “How you have helped one who has no power!
How you have assisted the arm that has no strength!(F)
3 How you have counseled one who has no wisdom
and given much good advice!
4 With whose help have you uttered words,
and whose spirit has come forth from you?
5 The shades below tremble,
the waters and their inhabitants.
6 Sheol is naked before God,
and Abaddon has no covering.(G)
7 He stretches out Zaphon[b] over the void
and hangs the earth upon nothing.(H)
8 He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
and the cloud is not torn open by them.(I)
9 He covers the face of the full moon
and spreads over it his cloud.(J)
10 He has described a circle on the face of the waters,
at the boundary between light and darkness.(K)
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
and are astounded at his rebuke.
12 By his power he stilled the Sea;
by his understanding he struck down Rahab.(L)
13 By his wind the heavens were made fair;
his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.(M)
14 These are indeed but the outskirts of his ways,
and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
But the thunder of his power who can understand?”(N)
Job Maintains His Integrity
27 Job again took up his discourse and said:(O)
2 “As God lives, who has taken away my right,
and the Almighty,[c] who has made my soul bitter,(P)
3 as long as my breath is in me
and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
4 my lips will not speak falsehood,
and my tongue will not utter deceit.(Q)
5 Far be it from me to say that you are right;
until I die I will not put away my integrity from me.(R)
6 I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go;
my heart will not reproach me as long as I live.(S)
7 “May my enemy be like the wicked,
and may my opponent be like the unrighteous.
8 For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts them off,
when God takes away their lives?(T)
9 Will God hear their cry
when trouble comes upon them?(U)
10 Will they take delight in the Almighty?[d]
Will they call upon God at all times?(V)
11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God;
that which is with the Almighty[e] I will not conceal.
12 All of you have seen it yourselves;
why then have you become altogether vain?
13 “This is the portion of the wicked with God
and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty:[f](W)
14 If their children are multiplied, it is for the sword,
and their offspring have not enough to eat.(X)
15 Those who survive them the pestilence buries,
and their widows make no lamentation.(Y)
16 Though they heap up silver like dust
and pile up clothing like clay,(Z)
17 they may pile it up, but the just will wear it,
and the innocent will divide the silver.(AA)
18 They build their houses like nests,
like booths made by sentinels of the vineyard.
19 They go to bed with wealth but will do so no more;
they open their eyes, and it is gone.(AB)
20 Terrors overtake them like a flood;
in the night a whirlwind carries them off.(AC)
21 The east wind lifts them up, and they are gone;
it sweeps them out of their place.(AD)
22 It[g] hurls at them without pity;
they flee from its[h] power in headlong flight.(AE)
23 It[i] claps its[j] hands at them
and hisses at them from its[k] place.(AF)
Footnotes
Job 25-27
Complete Jewish Bible
25 Bildad the Shuchi said,
2 “Dominion and fear belong to him;
he makes peace in his high places.
3 Can his armies be numbered?
On whom does his light not shine?
4 How then can humans be righteous with God?
How can those born of women be clean?
5 Why, before him even the moon lacks brightness,
and the stars themselves are not pure.
6 How much less a human, who is merely a maggot,
a mortal, who is only a worm?!”
26 Then Iyov replied,
2 “What great help you bring to the powerless!
what deliverance to the arm without strength!
3 Such wonderful advice for a man lacking wisdom!
So much common sense you’ve expressed!
4 Who helped you to say these words?
Whose spirit is it, coming forth from you?
5 “The ghosts of the dead tremble
beneath the water, with its creatures.
6 Sh’ol is naked before him;
Abaddon lies uncovered.
7 He stretches the north over chaos
and suspends the earth on nothing.
8 He binds up the water in his thick clouds,
yet no cloud is torn apart by it.
9 He shuts off the view of his throne
by spreading his cloud across it.
10 He fixed a circle on the surface of the water,
defining the boundary between light and dark.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble,
aghast at his rebuke.
12 He stirs up the sea with his power,
and by his skill he strikes down Rahav.
13 With his Spirit he spreads the heavens;
his hand pierces the fleeing serpent.
14 And these are but the fringes of his ways;
how faint the echo we hear of him!
But who is able to grasp the meaning
of his thundering power?”
27 Iyov continued his speech:
2 “I swear by the living God,
who is denying me justice,
and by Shaddai,
who deals with me so bitterly,
3 that as long my life remains in me
and God’s breath is in my nostrils,
4 my lips will not speak unrighteousness,
or my tongue utter deceit.
5 Far be it from me to say you are right;
I will keep my integrity till the day I die.
6 I hold to my righteousness; I won’t let it go;
my heart will not shame me as long as I live.
7 “May my enemy meet the doom of the wicked;
my foe the fate of the unrighteous.
8 For what hope does the godless have from his gain
when God takes away his life?
9 Will God hear his cry
when trouble comes upon him?
10 Will he take delight in Shaddai
and always call on God?
11 “I am teaching you how God uses his power,
not hiding what Shaddai is doing.
12 Look, you all can see for yourselves;
so why are you talking such empty nonsense?
13 “This is God’s reward for the wicked man,
the heritage oppressors receive from Shaddai:
14 if his sons become many, they go to the sword;
and his children never have enough to eat.
15 Those of his who remain are buried by plague,
and their widows do not weep.
16 Even if he piles up silver like dust
and stores away clothing [in mounds] like clay —
17 he may collect it, but the just will wear it,
and the upright divide up the silver.
18 He builds his house weak as a spider’s web,
as flimsy as a watchman’s shack.
19 He may lie down rich, but his wealth yields nothing;
when he opens his eyes, it isn’t there.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood;
at night a whirlwind steals him away.
21 The east wind carries him off, and he’s gone;
it sweeps him far from his place.
22 Yes, it hurls itself at him, sparing nothing;
he does all he can to flee from its power.
23 [People] clap their hands at him in derision
and hiss him out of his home.
Job 25-27
The Message
Bildad’s Third Attack
Even the Stars Aren’t Perfect in God’s Eyes
25 1-6 Bildad the Shuhite again attacked Job:
“God is sovereign, God is fearsome—
everything in the cosmos fits and works in his plan.
Can anyone count his angel armies?
Is there any place where his light doesn’t shine?
How can a mere mortal presume to stand up to God?
How can an ordinary person pretend to be guiltless?
Why, even the moon has its flaws,
even the stars aren’t perfect in God’s eyes,
So how much less, plain men and women—
slugs and maggots by comparison!”
Job’s Defense
God Sets a Boundary Between Light and Darkness
26 1-4 Job answered:
“Well, you’ve certainly been a great help to a helpless man!
You came to the rescue just in the nick of time!
What wonderful advice you’ve given to a mixed-up man!
What amazing insights you’ve provided!
Where in the world did you learn all this?
How did you become so inspired?
5-14 “All the buried dead are in torment,
and all who’ve been drowned in the deep, deep sea.
Hell is ripped open before God,
graveyards dug up and exposed.
He spreads the skies over unformed space,
hangs the earth out in empty space.
He pours water into cumulus cloud-bags
and the bags don’t burst.
He makes the moon wax and wane,
putting it through its phases.
He draws the horizon out over the ocean,
sets a boundary between light and darkness.
Thunder crashes and rumbles in the skies.
Listen! It’s God raising his voice!
By his power he stills sea storms,
by his wisdom he tames sea monsters.
With one breath he clears the sky,
with one finger he crushes the sea serpent.
And this is only the beginning,
a mere whisper of his rule.
Whatever would we do if he really raised his voice!”
No Place to Hide
27 1-6 Having waited for Zophar, Job now resumed his defense:
“God-Alive! He’s denied me justice!
God Almighty! He’s ruined my life!
But for as long as I draw breath,
and for as long as God breathes life into me,
I refuse to say one word that isn’t true.
I refuse to confess to any charge that’s false.
There is no way I’ll ever agree to your accusations.
I’ll not deny my integrity even if it costs me my life.
I’m holding fast to my integrity and not loosening my grip—
and, believe me, I’ll never regret it.
7-10 “Let my enemy be exposed as wicked!
Let my adversary be proven guilty!
What hope do people without God have when life is cut short?
when God puts an end to life?
Do you think God will listen to their cry for help
when disaster hits?
What interest have they ever shown in the Almighty?
Have they ever been known to pray before?
11-12 “I’ve given you a clear account of God in action,
suppressed nothing regarding God Almighty.
The evidence is right before you. You can all see it for yourselves,
so why do you keep talking nonsense?
13-23 “I’ll quote your own words back to you:
“‘This is how God treats the wicked,
this is what evil people can expect from God Almighty:
Their children—all of them—will die violent deaths;
they’ll never have enough bread to put on the table.
They’ll be wiped out by the plague,
and none of the widows will shed a tear when they’re gone.
Even if they make a lot of money
and are resplendent in the latest fashions,
It’s the good who will end up wearing the clothes
and the decent who will divide up the money.
They build elaborate houses
that won’t survive a single winter.
They go to bed wealthy
and wake up poor.
Terrors pour in on them like flash floods—
a tornado snatches them away in the middle of the night,
A cyclone sweeps them up—gone!
Not a trace of them left, not even a footprint.
Catastrophes relentlessly pursue them;
they run this way and that, but there’s no place to hide—
Pummeled by the weather,
blown to smithereens by the storm.’”
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson