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1 Job replied, 2 “How helpful you have been to this feeble man that I am. How supportive you have been to the weak. 3 What good advice you have given to this ignorant man, demonstrating you have so much wisdom. 4 Who helped you speak these words? Who inspired you to say such things?*
5 The dead tremble, those beneath the waters. 6 Sheol lies naked before God, Abaddon is uncovered.† 7 He stretches the northern sky over empty space; he hangs the world on nothing. 8 He gathers the rain in his storm clouds which do not break under the weight. 9 He veils his throne; covering it with his clouds. 10 On the surface of the waters he set a boundary; he set a limit dividing light from darkness.‡ 11 The pillars of heaven tremble; they shake with fear at his rebuke.§ 12 He calmed the sea with his power; because he knew what to do, he crushed Rahab.* 13 The breath of his voice made the heavens beautiful; with his hand he pierced the gliding serpent.† 14 This is just a little of all he does—what we hear of him is hardly a whisper, so who can understand his thunderous power?”
* 26:4 Clearly in these verses Job is being ironic. In addition some commentators see 26:1-4 as Job interrupting Bildad who continues as speaker of 26:5-14. † 26:6 Sheol and Abaddon are names for the underworld, the place of the dead. The idea in this verse is that nothing is hidden from God. ‡ 26:10 There are echoes of the Genesis account of creation here. § 26:11 According to the ancients, the sky was supported by pillars (identified with certain mountains). * 26:12 Rahab was a legendary sea-monster, and may refer to some creation stories. † 26:13 See Isaiah 27:1.