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Job 25-27
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Job 25-27
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Bildad Speaks: How Can a Mortal Be Righteous before God?
25 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
2 “Dominion and fear are with God;[a]
he makes peace in his high heaven.(A)
3 Is there any number to his armies?
Upon whom does his light not arise?(B)
4 How then can a mortal be righteous before God?
How can one born of woman be pure?(C)
5 If even the moon is not bright
and the stars are not pure in his sight,(D)
6 how much less a mortal, who is a maggot,
and a human being, who is a worm!”(E)
Job Replies: God’s Majesty Is Unsearchable
26 Then Job answered:
2 “How you have helped one who has no power!
How you have assisted the arm that has no strength!(F)
3 How you have counseled one who has no wisdom
and given much good advice!
4 With whose help have you uttered words,
and whose spirit has come forth from you?
5 The shades below tremble,
the waters and their inhabitants.
6 Sheol is naked before God,
and Abaddon has no covering.(G)
7 He stretches out Zaphon[b] over the void
and hangs the earth upon nothing.(H)
8 He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
and the cloud is not torn open by them.(I)
9 He covers the face of the full moon
and spreads over it his cloud.(J)
10 He has described a circle on the face of the waters,
at the boundary between light and darkness.(K)
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
and are astounded at his rebuke.
12 By his power he stilled the Sea;
by his understanding he struck down Rahab.(L)
13 By his wind the heavens were made fair;
his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.(M)
14 These are indeed but the outskirts of his ways,
and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
But the thunder of his power who can understand?”(N)
Job Maintains His Integrity
27 Job again took up his discourse and said:(O)
2 “As God lives, who has taken away my right,
and the Almighty,[c] who has made my soul bitter,(P)
3 as long as my breath is in me
and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
4 my lips will not speak falsehood,
and my tongue will not utter deceit.(Q)
5 Far be it from me to say that you are right;
until I die I will not put away my integrity from me.(R)
6 I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go;
my heart will not reproach me as long as I live.(S)
7 “May my enemy be like the wicked,
and may my opponent be like the unrighteous.
8 For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts them off,
when God takes away their lives?(T)
9 Will God hear their cry
when trouble comes upon them?(U)
10 Will they take delight in the Almighty?[d]
Will they call upon God at all times?(V)
11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God;
that which is with the Almighty[e] I will not conceal.
12 All of you have seen it yourselves;
why then have you become altogether vain?
13 “This is the portion of the wicked with God
and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty:[f](W)
14 If their children are multiplied, it is for the sword,
and their offspring have not enough to eat.(X)
15 Those who survive them the pestilence buries,
and their widows make no lamentation.(Y)
16 Though they heap up silver like dust
and pile up clothing like clay,(Z)
17 they may pile it up, but the just will wear it,
and the innocent will divide the silver.(AA)
18 They build their houses like nests,
like booths made by sentinels of the vineyard.
19 They go to bed with wealth but will do so no more;
they open their eyes, and it is gone.(AB)
20 Terrors overtake them like a flood;
in the night a whirlwind carries them off.(AC)
21 The east wind lifts them up, and they are gone;
it sweeps them out of their place.(AD)
22 It[g] hurls at them without pity;
they flee from its[h] power in headlong flight.(AE)
23 It[i] claps its[j] hands at them
and hisses at them from its[k] place.(AF)
Footnotes
Job 25-27
New International Version
Job 25-27
New International Version
Bildad
25 Then Bildad the Shuhite(A) replied:
2 “Dominion and awe belong to God;(B)
he establishes order in the heights of heaven.(C)
3 Can his forces be numbered?
On whom does his light not rise?(D)
4 How then can a mortal be righteous before God?
How can one born of woman be pure?(E)
5 If even the moon(F) is not bright
and the stars are not pure in his eyes,(G)
6 how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot—
a human being,(H) who is only a worm!”(I)
Job
26 Then Job replied:
2 “How you have helped the powerless!(J)
How you have saved the arm that is feeble!(K)
3 What advice you have offered to one without wisdom!
And what great insight(L) you have displayed!
4 Who has helped you utter these words?
And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?(M)
5 “The dead are in deep anguish,(N)
those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
6 The realm of the dead(O) is naked before God;
Destruction[a](P) lies uncovered.(Q)
7 He spreads out the northern skies(R) over empty space;
he suspends the earth over nothing.(S)
8 He wraps up the waters(T) in his clouds,(U)
yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
9 He covers the face of the full moon,
spreading his clouds(V) over it.
10 He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters(W)
for a boundary between light and darkness.(X)
11 The pillars of the heavens quake,(Y)
aghast at his rebuke.
12 By his power he churned up the sea;(Z)
by his wisdom(AA) he cut Rahab(AB) to pieces.
13 By his breath the skies(AC) became fair;
his hand pierced the gliding serpent.(AD)
14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
how faint the whisper(AE) we hear of him!(AF)
Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”(AG)
Job’s Final Word to His Friends
27 And Job continued his discourse:(AH)
2 “As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,(AI)
the Almighty,(AJ) who has made my life bitter,(AK)
3 as long as I have life within me,
the breath of God(AL) in my nostrils,
4 my lips will not say anything wicked,
and my tongue will not utter lies.(AM)
5 I will never admit you are in the right;
till I die, I will not deny my integrity.(AN)
6 I will maintain my innocence(AO) and never let go of it;
my conscience(AP) will not reproach me as long as I live.(AQ)
7 “May my enemy be like the wicked,(AR)
my adversary(AS) like the unjust!
8 For what hope have the godless(AT) when they are cut off,
when God takes away their life?(AU)
9 Does God listen to their cry
when distress comes upon them?(AV)
10 Will they find delight in the Almighty?(AW)
Will they call on God at all times?
11 “I will teach you about the power of God;
the ways(AX) of the Almighty I will not conceal.(AY)
12 You have all seen this yourselves.
Why then this meaningless talk?
13 “Here is the fate God allots to the wicked,
the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:(AZ)
14 However many his children,(BA) their fate is the sword;(BB)
his offspring will never have enough to eat.(BC)
15 The plague will bury those who survive him,
and their widows will not weep for them.(BD)
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust(BE)
and clothes like piles of clay,(BF)
17 what he lays up(BG) the righteous will wear,(BH)
and the innocent will divide his silver.(BI)
18 The house(BJ) he builds is like a moth’s cocoon,(BK)
like a hut(BL) made by a watchman.
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;(BM)
when he opens his eyes, all is gone.(BN)
20 Terrors(BO) overtake him like a flood;(BP)
a tempest snatches him away in the night.(BQ)
21 The east wind(BR) carries him off, and he is gone;(BS)
it sweeps him out of his place.(BT)
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy(BU)
as he flees headlong(BV) from its power.(BW)
23 It claps its hands(BX) in derision
and hisses him out of his place.”(BY)
Footnotes
- Job 26:6 Hebrew Abaddon
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.