Job 25–26

Bildad’s Third Speech

25Then^a Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,^b

²“Domination and dread are with him

who makes peace in his high heavens.

³Is there a number to his troops?

And upon whom does his light not rise?

⁴“Indeed,^c how can a human being be righteous before God?

And how will he who is born of a woman be pure?

⁵Look, even the moon is not bright,^d

and the stars are not pure in his sight.

⁶How much less^e for a human being who is a maggot,

and a human^f who is a worm?”

Job’s Ninth Speech: A Response to Bildad

26Then^a Job answered and said,

²“How you^b have helped one who has no power!^c

How you^d have assisted the arm that has no strength!^e

³How you^f have advised one who has no wisdom!^g

And what sound wisdom you^h have made known in abundance!ⁱ

⁴With whose help^j have you^k uttered words,

and whose breath has come forth from you?^l

⁵“The spirits of the dead tremble

below the waters and their inhabitants.

⁶Sheol is naked before him,

and there is no covering for Abaddon.

⁷He stretches out the north over emptiness;

he hangs the earth over nothing.^m

⁸He ties up the water in its clouds,

and the cloud is not torn open beneath it.ⁿ

⁹He covers the face of the full moon;^o

he spreads his cloud over it.

¹⁰He has described a circle^p on the face of the water

between light and darkness.^q

¹¹“The pillars of heaven tremble,

and they are astounded at his rebuke.

¹²By his power he stilled the sea,

and by his understanding he struck down Rahab.

¹³By his breath the heavens were made clear;^r

his hand pierced the fleeing snake.

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

and how faint is the word^s that we hear of him!

But^t who can understand the thunder of his power?”