Job 26
1 Then answered Job, and said,
Job replied [to Bildad], saying this [sarcastically]:
2 What assistance hast thou given to the powerless? [how] hast thou helped the arm without strength?
“I am a very weak and helpless man; and (you [certainly] have not helped me [SAR] very much!/[do you think that] you have helped me [SAR] very much?) [RHQ]
3 How hast thou counselled the unwise? and what sound wisdom hast thou made known so plentifully?
(You certainly have counseled me well—I, who am not wise at all./[Do you think that] you have counseled me well—I, who am not wise at all?) [RHQ] ([I’m sure you think that] you have given a lot of very good advice to me. [RHQ]
4 To whom hast thou told words? and whose spirit came from thee?
Who helped you to say all those [great/wise] things? Who inspired you to speak like you did?”
5 The departed are called into being beneath the waters, and their inhabitants.
“[Because] the spirits of dead people [are afraid], [they] tremble in the waters that are deep under the earth.
6 Naked is the nether world before him, and there is no covering for the place of corruption. (Sheol h7585)
God knows all about [those who are in] the place of the dead; there is nothing down there that prevents God from seeing what is there. (Sheol h7585)
7 He stretched out the north over empty space; he suspended the earth on nothing;
God stretched out the earth over the huge empty space and caused the earth to have nothing [to support it].
8 He bound up the waters in his clouds; and the cloud bursteth not under their weight;
He fills the thick/dense clouds with water and prevents that water from bursting the clouds.
9 He closed up the surface of his throne, spreading over it his cloud;
He causes clouds to (obscure/prevent us from seeing) the moon.
10 A fixed limit he compassed off over the face of the waters, for the division of the light and darkness.
He separated the light from the darkness and put the horizon to mark the place where the night ends and the daytime begins.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble greatly, and are astounded at his rebuke.
When [he is angry, it is as though] he rebukes the pillars that hold up the sky. They are (shocked/very fearful), and they tremble.
12 By his power he split in pieces the sea, and by his understanding he crushed [its] pride:
With his power he calmed the sea; with his skill/wisdom he destroyed Rahab, the huge sea monster.
13 By his breath the heavens [acquired] beauty; his hand hath created the flying serpent.
With his breath he caused the sky to be bright/clear; with his hand he killed the great dragon in the sea.
14 Lo, these are ends of his ways; for how slight a whisper is heard [by us] of him! but the thunder of his mighty deeds who can understand?
But those events show only a small amount of his power; [it is as though] we are hearing only whispers of his powerful voice. When we hear thunder, [we say, ] ‘(Who can really understand [how great] his power [is]/No one can [really] understand [how great] his power [is]!) [RHQ]’”
