Job 26–27

Chapter 26

¹And Job answered and said, ²How hast thou helped the powerless; how saved the arm that is without strength! ³How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom, and abundantly declared the thing as it is! ⁴For whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?

⁵The shades tremble beneath the waters and the inhabitants thereof; ⁶Sheol is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering. ⁷He stretcheth out the north over empty space, he hangeth the earth upon nothing; ⁸He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not rent under them. ⁹He covereth the face of his throne, he spreadeth his cloud upon it. ¹⁰He hath traced a fixed circle over the waters, unto the confines of light and darkness. ¹¹The pillars of the heavens tremble and are astonished at his rebuke. ¹²He stirreth up the sea by his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through Rahab. ¹³By his Spirit the heavens are adorned; his hand hath formed the fleeing serpent. ¹⁴Lo, these are the borders of his ways; but what a whisper of a word do we hear of him! And the thunder of his power, who can understand?

Chapter 27

¹And Job continued his parable and said, ²As •God liveth, who hath taken away my right, and the Almighty, who hath embittered my soul, ³All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of †God is in my nostrils, ⁴My lips shall not speak unrighteousness, nor my tongue utter deceit! ⁵Be it far from me that I should justify you; till I die I will not remove my blamelessness from me. ⁶My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart reproacheth me not one of my days.

⁷Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous. ⁸For what is the hope of the ungodly, when God cutteth him off, when †God taketh away his soul? ⁹Will •God hear his cry when distress cometh upon him? ¹⁰Doth he delight himself in the Almighty? will he at all times call upon †God?

¹¹I will teach you concerning the hand of •God; what is with the Almighty will I not conceal. ¹²Behold, ye yourselves have all seen it; and why are ye thus altogether vain? ¹³This is the portion of the wicked man with •God, and the heritage of the violent, which they receive from the Almighty: — ¹⁴If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword, and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread; ¹⁵Those that remain of him shall be buried by death, and his widows shall not weep. ¹⁶Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare clothing as the clay; ¹⁷He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on; and the innocent shall divide the silver. ¹⁸He buildeth his house as the moth, and as a booth that a keeper maketh. ¹⁹He lieth down rich, but will do so no more; he openeth his eyes, and he is not. ²⁰Terrors overtake him like waters; a whirlwind stealeth him away in the night. ²¹The east wind carrieth him away and he is gone; and as a storm it hurleth him out of his place. ²²And God shall cast upon him and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand. ²³Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.