Monday, January 26, 2004

Bildad Speaks, Job Responds: Job 25





Job 25

Bildad's Third Response to Job

1Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
2"God is powerful and dreadful. He enforces peace in the heavens. 3Who is able to count his heavenly army? Does his light not shine on all the earth? 4How can a mere mortal stand before God and claim to be righteous? Who in all the earth is pure? 5God is so glorious that even the moon and stars scarcely shine compared to him. 6How much less are mere people, who are but worms in his sight?"


Job 26

Job's Ninth Speech: A Response to Bildad

1Then Job spoke again:
2"How you have helped the powerless! How you have saved a person who has no strength! 3How you have enlightened my stupidity! What wise things you have said! 4Where have you gotten all these wise sayings? Whose spirit speaks through you?

5"The dead tremble in their place beneath the waters. 6The underworld[a] is naked in God's presence. There is no cover for the place of destruction. 7God stretches the northern sky over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing. 8He wraps the rain in his thick clouds, and the clouds do not burst with the weight. 9He shrouds his throne with his clouds. 10He created the horizon when he separated the waters; he set the boundaries for day and night. 11The foundations of heaven tremble at his rebuke. 12By his power the sea grew calm. By his skill he crushed the great sea monster.[b] 13His Spirit made the heavens beautiful, and his power pierced the gliding serpent.

14"These are some of the minor things he does, merely a whisper of his power. Who can understand the thunder of his power?"



Footnotes:
Job 26:6 Hebrew Sheol.
Job 26:12 Hebrew Rahab, the name of a mythical sea monster that represents chaos in ancient literature.

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