Job 25–26

Bildad Speaks

25Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:

²Dominion and dread ^mbelong to Him,

the One who establishes harmony in the heavens. ⁿ

³Can His troops be numbered?

Does His light not shine on everyone?

⁴How can a person be justified before God? ^o

How can one born of woman be pure? ^p

⁵If even the moon does not shine

and the stars are not pure in His sight, ^q

⁶how much less man, who is a maggot,

and the son of man, who is a worm! ^r

Job’s Reply to Bildad

26Then Job answered:

²How you have helped ^sthe powerless

and delivered the arm that is weak!

³How you have counseled the unwise ^t

and thoroughly explained the path to success!

⁴Who did you speak these words to?

Whose breath came out of your mouth?

⁵The departed spirits tremble

beneath the waters and all that inhabit them. ^u

⁶Sheol ^vis naked before God,

and Abaddon ^whas no covering. ^x

⁷He stretches the northern skies over empty space;

He hangs the earth on nothing.

⁸He wraps up the waters in His clouds,

yet the clouds do not burst beneath their weight. ^y

⁹He obscures the view of His throne,

spreading His cloud over it.

¹⁰He laid out the horizon on the surface of the waters ^z

at the boundary between light and darkness.

¹¹The pillars that hold up the sky tremble,

astounded at His rebuke. ^a

¹²By His power He stirred ^bthe sea,

and by His understanding He crushed Rahab. ^c

¹³By His breath the heavens gained their beauty;

His hand pierced the fleeing serpent. ^de

¹⁴These are but the fringes of His ways;

how faint is the word we hear of Him!

Who can understand His mighty thunder?