Job 26

Job’s Ninth Speech: A Response to Bildad

1 ThenHebrew "And" Job answered and said,

2 "How youSingular have helped one who has no power!Literally "for not power"

How youSingular have assisted the arm that has no strength!Literally "not strength"

3 How youSingular have advised one who has no wisdom!Literally "for not wisdom"

And what sound wisdom youSingular have made known in abundance!Literally "as far as the multitude," or "for multitude"

4 With whose helpLiterally "With whom" have youSingular uttered words,

and whose breath has come forth from you?Singular

5 "The spirits of the dead tremble

below the waters and their inhabitants.

6 Sheol is naked before him,

and there is no covering for Abaddon.

7 He stretches out the north over emptiness;

he hangs the earth over nothing.Literally "over not what"

8 He ties up the water in its clouds,

and the cloud is not torn open beneath it.Hebrew "them"; antecedent for "them" is "water" (literally "waters")

9 He covers the face of the full moon;Text reads "throne"; "full moon" is based on a change of the vowels

he spreads his cloud over it.

10 He has described a circleNRSV; literally "a limit he has circled" on the face of the water

between light and darkness.Literally "at the end of light with darkness"

11 "The pillars of heaven tremble,

and they are astounded at his rebuke.

12 By his power he stilled the sea,

and by his understanding he struck down Rahab.

13 By his breath the heavens were made clear;Literally "heavens clearness"

his hand pierced the fleeing snake.

14 Look, these are the outer fringes of his ways,

and how faint is the wordLiterally "how whisper of word" that we hear of him!

ButHebrew "And" who can understand the thunder of his power?"