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Job 12
Names of God Bible
Job 12
Names of God Bible
Job Speaks: My Friends Have No Wisdom
12 Then Job replied to his friends,
2 “You certainly are wise people,
and when you die, wisdom will die.
3 Like you, I have a mind.
I am not inferior to you.
But who doesn’t know these things?
4 I am a laughingstock to my neighbors.
I am one who calls on Eloah and expects an answer.
A man of integrity, a man who is righteous, has become a laughingstock.
5 “A person who has an easy life has no appreciation for misfortune.
He thinks it is the fate of those who slip up.
6 But robbers’ tents are prosperous,
and there is security for those who provoke El,
for those whose god is their power.[a]
7 “Instead, ask the animals, and they will teach you.
Ask the birds, and they will tell you.
8 Or speak with the earth, and it will teach you.
Even the fish will relate the story to you.
9 What creature doesn’t know that Yahweh’s hands made it?
10 The life of every living creature
and the spirit in every human body are in his hands.
11 Doesn’t the ear distinguish sounds
and the tongue taste food?
Wisdom Comes from God
12 “Wisdom is with the ancient one.
The one who has had many days has insight.[b]
13 Elohim has wisdom and strength.
Advice and insight are his.
14 When he tears something down, it cannot be rebuilt.
When he puts someone in prison, that person cannot be freed.
15 When he holds back the waters, there is a drought.
When he releases them, they flood the earth.
16 “Elohim has power and priceless wisdom.
He owns both the deceiver and the person who is deceived.
17 He leads counselors away barefoot
and makes fools out of judges.
18 He loosens kings’ belts
and strips them of their pants.
19 He leads priests away barefoot
and misleads those who serve in a temple.
20 He makes trusted advisers unable to speak
and takes away the good judgment of respected leaders.
21 He pours contempt on influential people
and unbuckles the belt of the mighty.
22 He uncovers mysteries hidden in the darkness
and brings gloom into the light.
23 He makes nations important and then destroys them.
He makes nations large and leads them away.
24 He takes away the common sense of a country’s leaders
and makes them stumble about in a pathless wilderness.
25 They grope in the dark with no light,
and he makes them stumble like drunks.
Job 12
International Standard Version
Job 12
International Standard Version
Job Responds to Zophar
12 In response Job replied:
2 “Truly, you are the people
and wisdom will die with you!
3 Like you, I also have understanding.[a]
I’m not inferior to you;
who doesn’t know things[b] like this?”
Job Has Become a Laughingstock
4 “I’m a laughingstock to my friends,
someone[c] who called on God.
But then he answered this upright and blameless man,
and I have become[d] a laughingstock.
5 The carefree are thinking, ‘I have contempt for misfortune,’
Those who are about to stumble deserve it.
6 The tents of robbers are at rest,
and those who provoke God are secure,
that is, those who carry their god in their pocket.[e]
Wisdom Can Be Found in God’s Creation
7 “Ask the wild animals, and they’ll teach you;
the birds of the sky will tell you.
8 Or ask the green plants of the earth and they’ll teach you;
let the fish in the sea tell you.
9 Who among all of these doesn’t know
that the Lord’s hand made them,[f]
10 and that the life of every living thing[g] rests in his control,
along with the breath of every living human being?
11 The ear scrutinizes speech
just as the palate tastes food.”
God is the All-Wise and All-Powerful Creator
12 “Wisdom may be found in the company of the aged.
Understanding comes[h] with longevity.
13 With God[i] is wisdom and strength;
counsel and understanding belongs to him.
14 When he tears down, nobody rebuilds;
when[j] he incarcerates, nobody escapes.
15 When he withholds water, rivers[k] dry up;
when he lets them loose, they’ll flood[l] the land.
16 “With God[m] are strength and sound wisdom;
both the deceived and those who deceive are responsible to him.[n]
17 He leads counselors away naked;
he turns judges into fools.
18 He strips away the authority of kings to punish
and puts them in prison clothes instead.
19 He leads away the priests naked
and overthrows the ruling class.[o]
20 He keeps reliable advisors from speaking,[p]
and removes discernment from elders.
21 He pours contempt on nobles
and embarrasses[q] the mighty.
22 He uncovers the hidden dimensions from darkness,
bringing what is in deep shadow to light.
23 He makes nations great, and then destroys them;
he enlarges nations, but then sends them away to captivity.[r]
24 He withdraws understanding[s] from national leaders of the world,[t]
causing them to wander through uncharted[u] wilderness.
25 They grope in the dark without light;
he causes them to stagger around like a drunkard.”
Footnotes
- Job 12:3 Lit. my heart is like yours
- Job 12:3 The Heb. lacks things
- Job 12:4 The Heb. lacks someone
- Job 12:4 The Heb. lacks have become
- Job 12:6 Lit. hand
- Job 12:9 Lit. this
- Job 12:10 Lit. all the living
- Job 12:12 The Heb. lacks comes
- Job 12:13 Lit. him
- Job 12:14 Lit. man
- Job 12:15 Lit. they
- Job 12:15 Lit. overthrow
- Job 12:16 Lit. him
- Job 12:16 Or are his
- Job 12:19 Lit. strong ones
- Job 12:20 Lit. deprives the lips of advisors
- Job 12:21 Lit. and loosens the belt of
- Job 12:23 The Heb. lacks to captivity
- Job 12:24 Lit. heart
- Job 12:24 Or land
- Job 12:24 Or trackless
Job 12
New International Version
Job 12
New International Version
Job
12 Then Job replied:
2 “Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
and wisdom will die with you!(A)
3 But I have a mind as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know all these things?(B)
4 “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)
5 Those who are at ease have contempt(G) for misfortune
as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.(H)
6 The tents of marauders are undisturbed,(I)
and those who provoke God are secure(J)—
those God has in his hand.[a]
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,(K)
or the birds in the sky,(L) and they will tell you;(M)
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 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)
Names of God Bible (NOG)
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
International Standard Version (ISV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.