Study Desk

Then Bildad the Shuhite responded,

"^(C1)Dominion and awe ^(F1)belong to Him Who makes peace in ^(C2)His heights.

-"Is there any number to ^(C1)His troops? And upon whom does His light not rise?

-"How then can mankind be ^(C1)righteous with God? Or how can anyone who is born of woman be ^(C2)pure?

-"If even ^(C1)the moon has no brightness And the ^(C2)stars are not pure in His sight,

How much less ^(C1)man, that ^(C2)maggot, And a son of man, that worm!"

Then Job responded,

"What a help you are to ^(F1)(C1)the weak! You have saved the arm ^(C2)without strength!

-"What advice you have given to one without wisdom! What helpful insight you have abundantly ^(F1)provided!

-"To whom have you uttered words? And whose ^(F1)spirit was expressed through you?

"The ^(F1)(C1)departed spirits are made to tremble Under the waters and their inhabitants.

-"^(F1)(C1)Sheol is naked before Him, And ^(F2)(C2)Abaddon has no covering.

-"He ^(C1)stretches out the north over empty space And hangs the earth on nothing.

-"He ^(C1)wraps up the waters in His clouds, And the cloud does not burst under them.

-"He ^(F1)(C1)obscures the face of the ^(F2)full moon And spreads His cloud over it.

-"He has inscribed a ^(C1)circle on the surface of the waters At the ^(C2)boundary of light and darkness.

-"The pillars of heaven tremble And are amazed at His rebuke.

-"With His power He ^(C1)quieted the sea, And by His ^(C2)understanding He shattered ^(F1)(C3)Rahab.

-"By His breath the ^(C1)heavens are ^(F1)cleared; His hand has pierced ^(C2)the fleeing serpent.

-"Behold, these are the fringes of His ways; And how faint ^(C1)a word we hear of Him! But His mighty ^(C2)thunder, who can understand?"

Job again took up his ^(C1)discourse and said,

"As God lives, ^(C1)who has taken away my right, And the Almighty, ^(C2)who has embittered my soul,

For as long as ^(F1)life is in me, And the ^(F2)(C1)breath of God is in my nostrils,

My lips certainly will not speak unjustly, Nor will ^(C1)my tongue mutter deceit.

-"Far be it from me that I should declare you right; Until I die, ^(C1)I will not ^(F1)give up my integrity.

-"I have ^(C1)kept hold of my righteousness and will not let it go. My heart does not rebuke any of my days.

"May my enemy be as the wicked, And ^(F1)my opponent as the criminal.

-"For what is ^(C1)the hope of the godless when he makes an end of life, When God requires ^(C2)his ^(F1)life?

-"Will God ^(C1)hear his cry When ^(C2)distress comes upon him?

-"Or will he take ^(C1)pleasure in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times?

-"I will instruct you in the ^(F1)power of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.

-"Behold, all of you have seen it; Why then do you talk of nothing?

"This is ^(C1)the portion of a wicked person from God, And the inheritance which ^(C2)tyrants receive from the Almighty:

Though his sons are many, ^(F1)they are destined ^(C1)for the sword; And his ^(C2)descendants will not be satisfied with bread.

-"His survivors will be buried because of the plague, And ^(F1)their ^(C1)widows will not be able to weep.

-"Though he piles up silver like dust, And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,

He may prepare it, ^(C1)but the righteous will wear it And the innocent will divide the silver.

-"He has built his ^(C1)house like the ^(F1)spider's web, Or a hut which the watchman has made.

-"He lies down rich, but never ^(F1)again; He opens his eyes, and ^(C1)it no longer exists.

-"^(C1)Terrors overtake him like a flood; A storm steals him away ^(C2)in the night.

-"The east ^(C1)wind carries him away, and he is gone; For it sweeps him ^(C2)away from his place.

-"For it will hurl at him ^(C1)without mercy; He will certainly try to ^(C2)flee from its ^(F1)power.

-"People will ^(F1)clap their hands at him, And will ^(C1)whistle at him from their places.