Job 26
1 Job replied [to Bildad], saying this [sarcastically]:
Then Job answered and said,
2 “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]
“How you have helped one who has no power! How you have saved the arm that has no strength!
3 (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]
How you have advised one who has no wisdom and announced to him sound knowledge!
4 Who helped you to say all those [great/wise] things? Who inspired you to speak like you did?”
With whose help have you spoken these words? Whose spirit was it that came out from you?
5 “[Because] the spirits of dead people [are afraid], [they] tremble in the waters that are deep under the earth.
The dead are made to tremble, those who are beneath the waters and all who dwell in them.
6 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)
Sheol is naked before God; destruction itself has no covering against him. (Sheol h7585)
7 God stretched out the earth over the huge empty space and caused the earth to have nothing [to support it].
He stretches out the northern skies over the empty space, and he hangs the earth over nothing.
8 He fills the thick/dense clouds with water and prevents that water from bursting the clouds.
He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, but the clouds are not torn under them.
9 He causes clouds to (obscure/prevent us from seeing) the moon.
He covers the surface of the moon and spreads his clouds on it.
10 He separated the light from the darkness and put the horizon to mark the place where the night ends and the daytime begins.
He has engraved a circular boundary on the surface of the waters as the line between light and darkness.
11 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.
The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his rebuke.
12 With his power he calmed the sea; with his skill/wisdom he destroyed Rahab, the huge sea monster.
He calmed the sea with his power; by his understanding he shattered Rahab.
13 With his breath he caused the sky to be bright/clear; with his hand he killed the great dragon in the sea.
By his breath he made the skies clear; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
14 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]’”
See, these are but the fringes of his ways; how small a whisper do we hear of him! Who can understand the thunder of his power?”
