Job 12:13-25
International Standard Version
13 With God[a] is wisdom and strength;
counsel and understanding belongs to him.
14 When he tears down, nobody rebuilds;
when[b] he incarcerates, nobody escapes.
15 When he withholds water, rivers[c] dry up;
when he lets them loose, they’ll flood[d] the land.
16 “With God[e] are strength and sound wisdom;
both the deceived and those who deceive are responsible to him.[f]
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.[g]
20 He keeps reliable advisors from speaking,[h]
and removes discernment from elders.
21 He pours contempt on nobles
and embarrasses[i] 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.[j]
24 He withdraws understanding[k] from national leaders of the world,[l]
causing them to wander through uncharted[m] wilderness.
25 They grope in the dark without light;
he causes them to stagger around like a drunkard.”
Footnotes
- 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
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