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Job Replies

12 And Job answered:

“No doubt but you are the people,
    and wisdom will die with you!
But I have understanding as well as you;
    I am not inferior to you.
    Yes, who does not know such things as these?

“I am a laughingstock to my neighbor,
    who calls upon God, and He answers him;
    the righteous, upright man is a laughingstock.
He whose foot is unsteady
    is despised in the thoughts of him who is at ease.
The tents of robbers are at peace,
    and those who provoke God are secure,
    into whose hand they bring their own god.

“But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you;
    and the birds of the air, and let them tell you;
or speak to the earth, let it teach you;
    and let the fish of the sea declare to you.
Who among all these does not know
    that the hand of the Lord has done this,
10 in whose hand is the soul of every living thing
    and the breath of all mankind?
11 Does not the ear test words
    and the mouth taste its food?
12 Wisdom is with the elderly,
    and understanding comes with long life.

13 “With Him are wisdom and strength;
    He has counsel and understanding.
14 Surely, He tears down, and it cannot be built again;
    He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
15 Surely, He withholds the waters, and they dry up;
    also He sends them out, and they overthrow the earth.
16 With Him are strength and wisdom.
    The deceived and the deceiver are His.
17 He leads counselors away stripped
    and makes fools of judges.
18 He has loosened the bonds imposed by kings
    and bound their waist with a belt.
19 He leads away priests stripped
    and overthrows the mighty.
20 He removes speech from the trusted ones
    and takes away the understanding of the aged.
21 He pours contempt upon princes
    and loosens the belt of the mighty.
22 He uncovers deep things out of darkness
    and brings the shadow of death to light.
23 He increases the nations and destroys them;
    He enlarges the nations and guides them.
24 He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth,
    and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
25 They grope in the dark without light,
    and He makes them to stagger like a drunk man.

Job

12 Then Job replied:

“Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
    and wisdom will die with you!(A)
But I have a mind as well as you;
    I am not inferior to you.
    Who does not know all these things?(B)

“I have become a laughingstock(C) to my friends,(D)
    though I called on God and he answered(E)
    a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!(F)
Those who are at ease have contempt(G) for misfortune
    as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.(H)
The tents of marauders are undisturbed,(I)
    and those who provoke God are secure(J)
    those God has in his hand.[a]

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,(K)
    or the birds in the sky,(L) and they will tell you;(M)
or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
    or let the fish in the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know(N)
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?(O)
10 In his hand is the life(P) of every creature
    and the breath of all mankind.(Q)
11 Does not the ear test words
    as the tongue tastes food?(R)
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged?(S)
    Does not long life bring understanding?(T)

13 “To God belong wisdom(U) and power;(V)
    counsel and understanding are his.(W)
14 What he tears down(X) cannot be rebuilt;(Y)
    those he imprisons cannot be released.(Z)
15 If he holds back the waters,(AA) there is drought;(AB)
    if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.(AC)
16 To him belong strength and insight;(AD)
    both deceived and deceiver are his.(AE)
17 He leads rulers away stripped(AF)
    and makes fools of judges.(AG)
18 He takes off the shackles(AH) put on by kings
    and ties a loincloth[b] around their waist.(AI)
19 He leads priests away stripped(AJ)
    and overthrows officials long established.(AK)
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers
    and takes away the discernment of elders.(AL)
21 He pours contempt on nobles(AM)
    and disarms the mighty.(AN)
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness(AO)
    and brings utter darkness(AP) into the light.(AQ)
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;(AR)
    he enlarges nations,(AS) and disperses them.(AT)
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;(AU)
    he makes them wander in a trackless waste.(AV)
25 They grope in darkness with no light;(AW)
    he makes them stagger like drunkards.(AX)

Footnotes

  1. Job 12:6 Or those whose god is in their own hand
  2. Job 12:18 Or shackles of kings / and ties a belt