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Job 12:7
New International Version
Job 12:7
New International Version
Job 12:7-12
The Message
Job 12:7-12
The Message
7-12 “But ask the animals what they think—let them teach you;
let the birds tell you what’s going on.
Put your ear to the earth—learn the basics.
Listen—the fish in the ocean will tell you their stories.
Isn’t it clear that they all know and agree
that God is sovereign, that he holds all things in his hand—
Every living soul, yes,
every breathing creature?
Isn’t this all just common sense,
as common as the sense of taste?
Do you think the elderly have a corner on wisdom,
that you have to grow old before you understand life?
Job 12:7
Amplified Bible
Job 12:7
Amplified Bible
7
“Now ask the animals, and let them teach you [that God does not deal with His creatures according to their character];
And ask the birds of the air, and let them tell you;
Job 12:7
New Living Translation
Job 12:7
New Living Translation
7 “Just ask the animals, and they will teach you.
Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
Job 12:7
New King James Version
Job 12:7
New King James Version
7 “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
Job 12:7-12
New International Version
Job 12:7-12
New International Version
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,(A)
or the birds in the sky,(B) and they will tell you;(C)
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(D)
that the hand of the Lord has done this?(E)
10 In his hand is the life(F) of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.(G)
11 Does not the ear test words
as the tongue tastes food?(H)
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged?(I)
Does not long life bring understanding?(J)
Job 12:7-12
The Message
Job 12:7-12
The Message
7-12 “But ask the animals what they think—let them teach you;
let the birds tell you what’s going on.
Put your ear to the earth—learn the basics.
Listen—the fish in the ocean will tell you their stories.
Isn’t it clear that they all know and agree
that God is sovereign, that he holds all things in his hand—
Every living soul, yes,
every breathing creature?
Isn’t this all just common sense,
as common as the sense of taste?
Do you think the elderly have a corner on wisdom,
that you have to grow old before you understand life?
Job 12:7-12
Amplified Bible
Job 12:7-12
Amplified Bible
7
“Now ask the animals, and let them teach you [that God does not deal with His creatures according to their character];
And ask the birds of the air, and let them tell you;
8
Or speak to the earth [with its many forms of life], and it will teach you;
And let the fish of the sea declare [this truth] to you.
9
“Who among all these does not recognize [in all these things that good and evil are randomly scattered throughout nature and human life]
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
10
In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind?
11
“Does the ear not put words to the test,
Just as the palate tastes its food [distinguishing between the desirable and the undesirable]?
12
“With the aged [you say] is wisdom,
And with [a]long life is understanding.
Footnotes
- Job 12:12 Lit length of days.
Job 12:7-12
New Living Translation
Job 12:7-12
New Living Translation
7 “Just ask the animals, and they will teach you.
Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
8 Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you.
Let the fish in the sea speak to you.
9 For they all know
that my disaster[a] has come from the hand of the Lord.
10 For the life of every living thing is in his hand,
and the breath of every human being.
11 The ear tests the words it hears
just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.
12 Wisdom belongs to the aged,
and understanding to the old.
Footnotes
- 12:9 Hebrew that this.
Job 12:7-12
New King James Version
Job 12:7-12
New King James Version
7 “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
9 Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
10 (A)In whose hand is the [a]life of every living thing,
And the (B)breath of [b]all mankind?
11 Does not the ear test words
And the [c]mouth taste its food?
12 Wisdom is with aged men,
And with [d]length of days, understanding.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Amplified Bible (AMP) 
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.