Job 25-26

New International Version

Bildad

25 Then Bildad the Shuhite^(A) replied:

²“Dominion and awe belong to God;^(B)
    he establishes order in the heights of heaven.^(C)
³Can his forces be numbered?
    On whom does his light not rise?^(D)
⁴How then can a mortal be righteous before God?
    How can one born of woman be pure?^(E)
⁵If even the moon^(F) is not bright
    and the stars are not pure in his eyes,^(G)
⁶how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot—
    a human being,^(H) who is only a worm!”^(I)

Job

26 Then Job replied:

²“How you have helped the powerless!^(J)
    How you have saved the arm that is feeble!^(K)
³What advice you have offered to one without wisdom!
    And what great insight^(L) you have displayed!
⁴Who has helped you utter these words?
    And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?^(M)

⁵“The dead are in deep anguish,^(N)
    those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
⁶The realm of the dead^(O) is naked before God;
    Destruction^[a]^(P) lies uncovered.^(Q)
⁷He spreads out the northern skies^(R) over empty space;
    he suspends the earth over nothing.^(S)
⁸He wraps up the waters^(T) in his clouds,^(U)
    yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
⁹He covers the face of the full moon,
    spreading his clouds^(V) over it.
¹⁰He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters^(W)
    for a boundary between light and darkness.^(X)
¹¹The pillars of the heavens quake,^(Y)
    aghast at his rebuke.
¹²By his power he churned up the sea;^(Z)
    by his wisdom^(AA) he cut Rahab^(AB) to pieces.
¹³By his breath the skies^(AC) became fair;
    his hand pierced the gliding serpent.^(AD)
¹⁴And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
    how faint the whisper^(AE) we hear of him!^(AF)
    Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”^(AG)

Footnotes

Job 26:6 Hebrew Abaddon

Psalm 116

New International Version

Psalm 116

¹I love the Lord,^(A) for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry^(B) for mercy.^(C)
²Because he turned his ear^(D) to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.

³The cords of death^(E) entangled me,
    the anguish of the grave came over me;
    I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
⁴Then I called on the name^(F) of the Lord:
    “Lord, save me!^(G)”

⁵The Lord is gracious and righteous;^(H)
our God is full of compassion.^(I)
⁶The Lord protects the unwary;
when I was brought low,^(J) he saved me.^(K)

⁷Return to your rest,^(L) my soul,
for the Lord has been good^(M) to you.

⁸For you, Lord, have delivered me^(N) from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling,
⁹that I may walk before the Lord^(O)
    in the land of the living.^(P)

¹⁰I trusted^(Q) in the Lord when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted”;^(R)
¹¹in my alarm I said,
“Everyone is a liar.”^(S)

¹²What shall I return to the Lord
for all his goodness^(T) to me?

¹³I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name^(U) of the Lord.
¹⁴I will fulfill my vows^(V) to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.

¹⁵Precious in the sight^(W) of the Lord
    is the death of his faithful servants.^(X)
¹⁶Truly I am your servant, Lord;^(Y)
    I serve you just as my mother did;^(Z)
    you have freed me from my chains.^(AA)

¹⁷I will sacrifice a thank offering^(AB) to you
    and call on the name of the Lord.
¹⁸I will fulfill my vows^(AC) to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,
¹⁹in the courts^(AD) of the house of the Lord—
    in your midst, Jerusalem.^(AE)