Job / Job's Extended Defense: God's Power and the Friends' Failings (part 1)

Job's Extended Defense: God's Power and the Friends' Failings (part 1)

Job 26:1-28:7

Chapter 26

¹ Job answered and said. ² What have you helped the powerless? You have saved with the arm of no-might? ³ How have you counseled without wisdom, and sound counsel amid much knowledge? ⁴ To whom have you told words, and whose spirit has gone out from you? ⁵ The Rephaim tremble under the waters and their neighbors. ⁶ Naked Sheol is before him, and there is no covering for Abaddon. ⁷ He stretches out the north over tohu; he suspends the earth over nothing. ⁸ He binds up the waters in his clouds, and the cloud does not split beneath them. ⁹ He grasps the face—he covers it; he spreads cloud upon it. ¹⁰ He sets a boundary on the face of the waters to the end of the light with darkness. ¹¹ The pillars of the heavens quiver and are dismayed at his rebuke. ¹² By his strength he made the sea tremble, and by his understanding he crushed Rahab. ¹³ By his Spirit he beautified the heavens; his hand wounded her, the fleeing serpent. ¹⁴ Behold, these are the ends of his ways, and how faint a whisper of a word we hear from him! And the thunder of his mighty deeds—who can understand?

Chapter 27

¹ And Job continued his parable and said. ² God’s life has removed my justice, and Shaddai has embittered my life force. ³ For all—as long as my breath is in me and the breath of God is in my nostrils. ⁴ If my lips speak injustice and my tongue mutters deceit. ⁵ Far be it from me! I will not justify you until I die. I will not remove my integrity from me. ⁶ In my righteousness I have held fast, and I will not let go—my heart will not taunt me in my days. ⁷ May my enemy be like the wicked, and my rising-up ones like injustice. ⁸ For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his soul? ⁹ Will God hear his outcry when distress comes upon him? ¹⁰ If he delights in Shaddai, will he call on God every time? ¹¹ I will teach you by the hand of God—what is with Shaddai; I will not conceal. ¹² Look—you all have seen it, and why do this in vain? ¹³ This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the inheritance that tyrants receive from Shaddai. ¹⁴ If his sons multiply, the sword will come to them, and his offspring will not be satisfied with bread. ¹⁵ His survivors will be buried in death, and his widows will not weep. ¹⁶ If he heaps up silver like dust and like clay he prepares clothing— ¹⁷ He will establish it, and the righteous will wear it, and he will divide silver to the innocent. ¹⁸ He builds his house like a moth and makes a booth like a spider. ¹⁹ The rich man lies down and is not gathered; he opens his eyes and he is not. ²⁰ It will overtake him like waters; terror of night will steal him away like a storm. ²¹ The east wind carries him away and he goes, and it uproots him from his place. ²² He will hurl it upon him and not spare; he will flee from his hand in the wind. ²³ And it claps its palms at him and hisses at him from its place.

Chapter 28

¹ Surely there is a source for silver and a place for gold that they refine. ² He takes iron from dust and bronze from stone poured out. ³ He explores to the end there in darkness and to every limit—the stone of darkness and deep darkness. ⁴ He breaks through a stream from the people of the sojourner. The forgotten ones from the Footstool—they hang from humanity; they sway. ⁵ The earth, from which food comes, is turned like fire underneath it. ⁶ The place—sapphire its stones and its dust gold. ⁷ A path no bird of prey has known—no falcon’s eye has gazed on it.