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Job 12
Living Bible
Job 12
Living Bible
12 Job’s reply:
2 “Yes, I realize you know everything! All wisdom will die with you! 3 Well, I know a few things myself—you are no better than I am. And who doesn’t know these things you’ve been saying? 4 I, the man who begged God for help, and God answered him, have become a laughingstock to my neighbors. Yes, I, a righteous man, am now the man they scoff at. 5 Meanwhile, the rich mock those in trouble and are quick to despise all those in need. 6 For robbers prosper. Go ahead and provoke God—it makes no difference! He will supply your every need anyway!
7-9 “Who doesn’t know that the Lord does things like that? Ask the dumbest beast—he knows that it is so; ask the birds—they will tell you; or let the earth teach you, or the fish of the sea. 10 For the soul of every living thing is in the hand of God, and the breath of all mankind. 11 Just as my mouth can taste good food, so my mind tastes truth when I hear it. 12 And as you say, older men like me[a] are wise. They understand. 13 But true wisdom and power are God’s. He alone knows what we should do; he understands.
14 “And how great is his might! What he destroys can’t be rebuilt. When he closes in on a man, there is no escape. 15 He withholds the rain, and the earth becomes a desert; he sends the storms and floods the ground. 16 Yes, with him is strength and wisdom. Deceivers and deceived are both his slaves.
17 “He makes fools of counselors and judges. 18 He reduces kings to slaves and frees their servants. 19 Priests are led away as slaves. He overthrows the mighty. 20 He takes away the voice of orators and the insight of the elders. 21 He pours contempt upon princes and weakens the strong. 22 He floods the darkness with light, even the dark shadow of death. 23 He raises up a nation and then destroys it. He makes it great, and then reduces it to nothing. 24-25 He takes away the understanding of presidents and kings, and leaves them wandering, lost and groping, without a guiding light.
Footnotes
- Job 12:12 older men like me, implied.
Job 12
New King James Version
Job 12
New King James Version
Job Answers His Critics
12 Then Job answered and said:
2 “No doubt you are the people,
And wisdom will die with you!
3 But I have [a]understanding as well as you;
I am not (A)inferior to you.
Indeed, who does not know such things as these?
4 “I(B) am one mocked by his friends,
Who (C)called on God, and He answered him,
The just and blameless who is ridiculed.
5 A [b]lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease;
It is made ready for (D)those whose feet slip.
6 (E)The tents of robbers prosper,
And those who provoke God are secure—
In what God provides by His hand.
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 (F)In whose hand is the [c]life of every living thing,
And the (G)breath of [d]all mankind?
11 Does not the ear test words
And the [e]mouth taste its food?
12 Wisdom is with aged men,
And with [f]length of days, understanding.
13 “With Him are (H)wisdom and strength,
He has counsel and understanding.
14 If (I)He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt;
If He imprisons a man, there can be no release.
15 If He (J)withholds the waters, they dry up;
If He (K)sends them out, they overwhelm the earth.
16 With Him are strength and prudence.
The deceived and the deceiver are His.
17 He leads counselors away plundered,
And makes fools of the judges.
18 He loosens the bonds of kings,
And binds their waist with a belt.
19 He leads [g]princes away plundered,
And overthrows the mighty.
20 (L)He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 (M)He pours contempt on princes,
And [h]disarms the mighty.
22 He (N)uncovers deep things out of darkness,
And brings the shadow of death to light.
23 (O)He makes nations great, and destroys them;
He [i]enlarges nations, and guides them.
24 He takes away the [j]understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth,
And (P)makes them wander in a pathless wilderness.
25 (Q)They grope in the dark without light,
And He makes them (R)stagger like a drunken man.
Job 12
King James Version
Job 12
King James Version
12 And Job answered and said,
2 No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.
5 He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.
6 The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.
7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
9 Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?
10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
11 Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?
12 With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
13 With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.
14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
16 With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.
18 He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.
19 He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.
20 He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.
21 He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.
22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
23 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
24 He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
25 They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
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)
约伯记 12
Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified)
约伯记 12
Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified)
约伯自言己智不亚于友
12 约伯回答说： 2 “你们真是子民哪！你们死亡，智慧也就灭没了。 3 但我也有聪明，与你们一样，并非不及你们。你们所说的，谁不知道呢？ 4 我这求告神，蒙他应允的人，竟成了朋友所讥笑的。公义完全人，竟受了人的讥笑。 5 安逸的人心里藐视灾祸，这灾祸常常等待滑脚的人。 6 强盗的帐篷兴旺，惹神的人稳固，神多将财物送到他们手中。
7 “你且问走兽，走兽必指教你；又问空中的飞鸟，飞鸟必告诉你； 8 或与地说话，地必指教你；海中的鱼也必向你说明。 9 看这一切，谁不知道是耶和华的手做成的呢？ 10 凡活物的生命和人类的气息，都在他手中。 11 耳朵岂不试验言语，正如上膛尝食物吗？ 12 年老的有智慧，寿高的有知识。
申言神之智能
13 “在神有智慧和能力，他有谋略和知识。 14 他拆毁的，就不能再建造；他捆住人，便不得开释。 15 他把水留住，水便枯干；他再发出水来，水就翻地。 16 在他有能力和智慧，被诱惑的与诱惑人的，都是属他。 17 他把谋士剥衣掳去，又使审判官变成愚人。 18 他放松君王的绑，又用带子捆他们的腰。 19 他把祭司剥衣掳去，又使有能的人倾败。 20 他废去忠信人的讲论，又夺去老人的聪明。 21 他使君王蒙羞被辱，放松有力之人的腰带。 22 他将深奥的事从黑暗中彰显，使死荫显为光明。 23 他使邦国兴旺而又毁灭，他使邦国开广而又掳去。 24 他将地上民中首领的聪明夺去，使他们在荒废无路之地漂流。 25 他们无光，在黑暗中摸索，又使他们东倒西歪，像醉酒的人一样。
Living Bible (TLB)
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 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.
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.
Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) (CUVMPS)
Copyright © 2011 by Global Bible Initiative