Job 12
Christian Standard Bible
Job’s Reply to Zophar
12 Then Job answered:
2 No doubt you are the people,
and wisdom will die with you!
3 But I also have a mind like you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who doesn’t know the things you are talking about?[a](A)
4 I am a laughingstock to my[b] friends,
by calling on God, who answers me.[c]
The righteous and blameless man is a laughingstock.(B)
5 The one who is at ease(C) holds calamity in contempt
and thinks it is prepared for those whose feet are slipping.
6 The tents of robbers are safe,(D)
and those who trouble God are secure;
God holds them in his hands.[d](E)
7 But ask the animals, and they will instruct you;
ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.(F)
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct you;
let the fish of the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?(G)
10 The life of every living thing is in his hand,
as well as the breath of all humanity.(H)
11 Doesn’t the ear test words
as the palate tastes food?
12 Wisdom is found with the elderly,
and understanding comes with long life.(I)
13 Wisdom and strength belong to God;
counsel and understanding are his.(J)
14 Whatever he tears down cannot be rebuilt;
whoever he imprisons cannot be released.(K)
15 When he withholds water, everything dries up,
and when he releases it, it destroys the land.(L)
16 True wisdom and power belong to him.
The deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leads counselors away barefoot
and makes judges go mad.(M)
18 He releases the bonds[e] put on by kings(N)
and fastens a belt around their waists.
19 He leads priests away barefoot
and overthrows established leaders.(O)
20 He deprives trusted advisers of speech
and takes away the elders’ good judgment.
21 He pours out contempt on nobles
and disarms[f] the strong.
22 He reveals mysteries from the darkness
and brings the deepest darkness into the light.(P)
23 He makes nations great, then destroys them;
he enlarges nations,(Q) then leads them away.
24 He deprives the world’s leaders of reason,
and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.(R)
25 They grope around in darkness without light;
he makes them stagger like a drunkard.(S)
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
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
