1 Maar Job het geantwoord en gesê:

2 Hoe goed het jy die onmagtige bygestaan, die kragtelose arm gehelp!

3 Hoe mooi het jy die onwyse raad gegee en beleid in oorvloed bekend gemaak!

4 Aan wie het jy woorde te kenne gegee, en wie se gees het uit jou uitgegaan?

5 Die skimme is beangs onder die waters en onder die bewoners daarvan.

6 Naak lê die doderyk voor Hom, en die plek van vertering het geen bedekking nie --

7 voor Hom wat die noorde uitspan oor die chaos, wat die aarde ophang oor 'n niks;

8 wat die waters saambind in sy wolke sonder dat die wolkgevaarte daaronder skeur;

9 wat die gesig van die troon toehou deurdat Hy sy wolk daaroor uitsprei.

10 Hy het 'n kring afgetrek oor die watervlakte tot waar lig in duisternis eindig.

11 Die pilare van die hemel wankel en staan verstom weens sy dreiging.

12 Deur sy krag bring Hy die see in beroering, en deur sy verstand verpletter Hy Rahab.

13 Deur sy asem word die hemel helder; sy hand het die vinnige slang deurboor.

14 Kyk, dit is maar die uitlopers van sy weë, en wat 'n fluisterwoord hoor ons maar van Hom! Wie sou dan die donder van sy magtige dade verstaan?

1 Then Job made answer and said,

2 How have you given help to him who has no power! how have you been the salvation of the arm which has no strength!

3 How have you given teaching to him who has no wisdom, and fully made clear true knowledge!

4 To whom have your words been said? and whose spirit came out from you?

5 The shades in the underworld are shaking; the waters and those living in them.

6 The underworld is uncovered before him, and Destruction has no veil.

7 By his hand the north is stretched out in space, and the earth is hanging on nothing.

8 By him the waters are shut up in his thick clouds, and the cloud does not give way under them.

9 By him the face of his high seat is veiled, and his cloud stretched out over it.

10 By him a circle is marked out on the face of the waters, to the limits of the light and the dark.

11 The pillars of heaven are shaking, and are overcome by his sharp words.

12 By his power the sea was made quiet; and by his wisdom Rahab was wounded.

13 By his wind the heavens become bright: by his hand the quickly moving snake was cut through.

14 See, these are only the outskirts of his ways; and how small is that which comes to our ears about him! But the thunder of his acts of power is outside all knowledge.