Job 12
English Standard Version
Job Replies: The Lord Has Done This
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 inferior to you.
Who does not know (B)such things as these?
4 I am (C)a laughingstock to my friends;
I, who (D)called to God and he answered me,
a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock.
5 In the thought of one who is (E)at ease there is contempt for misfortune;
it is ready for those whose feet slip.
6 (F)The tents of robbers are at peace,
and those who provoke God are secure,
who bring their god in their hand.[a]
7 “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
8 or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;[b]
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
9 Who among all these does not know
that (G)the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In (H)his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of all mankind.
11 Does not (I)the ear test words
as the palate tastes food?
12 Wisdom is with (J)the aged,
and understanding in length of days.
13 (K)“With God[c] are wisdom and might;
he has counsel and understanding.
14 If he tears down, none can rebuild;
if he (L)shuts a man in, none can open.
15 If he (M)withholds the waters, they dry up;
if he (N)sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
16 With him are strength and (O)sound wisdom;
the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leads (P)counselors away stripped,
and (Q)judges he makes fools.
18 He (R)looses the bonds of kings
and binds a waistcloth on their hips.
19 He leads priests away stripped
and overthrows the mighty.
20 He deprives of speech those who are trusted
(S)and takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 He (T)pours contempt on princes
and loosens the belt of the strong.
22 He (U)uncovers the deeps out of darkness
and brings (V)deep darkness to light.
23 He (W)makes nations great, and he destroys them;
he enlarges nations, and (X)leads them away.
24 He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth
and (Y)makes them wander in a trackless waste.
25 They (Z)grope in the dark without light,
and he makes them (AA)stagger like a drunken man.
Job 12
World English Bible
12 Then Job answered,
2 “No doubt, but you are the people,
and wisdom will die with you.
3 But I have understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Yes, who doesn’t know such things as these?
4 I am like one who is a joke to his neighbor,
I, who called on God, and he answered.
The just, the blameless man is a joke.
5 In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune.
It is ready for them whose foot slips.
6 The tents of robbers prosper.
Those who provoke God are secure,
who carry their god in their hands.
7 “But ask the animals now, and they will teach you;
the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you.
The fish of the sea will declare to you.
9 Who doesn’t know that in all these,
Yahweh’s hand has done this,
10 in whose hand is the life of every living thing,
and the breath of all mankind?
11 Doesn’t the ear try words,
even as the palate tastes its food?
12 With aged men is wisdom,
in length of days understanding.
13 “With God is wisdom and might.
He has counsel and understanding.
14 Behold, he breaks down, and it can’t be built again.
He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
15 Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up.
Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.
16 With him is strength and wisdom.
The deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leads counselors away stripped.
He makes judges fools.
18 He loosens the bond of kings.
He binds their waist with a belt.
19 He leads priests away stripped,
and overthrows the mighty.
20 He removes the speech of those who are trusted,
and takes away the understanding of the elders.
21 He pours contempt on princes,
and loosens the belt of the strong.
22 He uncovers deep things out of darkness,
and brings out to light the shadow of death.
23 He increases the nations, and he destroys them.
He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.
24 He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth,
and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
25 They grope in the dark without light.
He makes them stagger like a drunken man.
Job 12
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
Job Replies: I Am a Laughing-stock
12 Then Job answered:
2 ‘No doubt you are the people,
and wisdom will die with you.
3 But I have understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know such things as these?
4 I am a laughing-stock to my friends;
I, who called upon God and he answered me,
a just and blameless man, I am a laughing-stock.
5 Those at ease have contempt for misfortune,[a]
but it is ready for those whose feet are unstable.
6 The tents of robbers are at peace,
and those who provoke God are secure,
who bring their god in their hands.[b]
7 ‘But ask the animals, and they will teach you;
the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
8 ask the plants of the earth,[c] and they will teach you;
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
9 Who among all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of every human being.
11 Does not the ear test words
as the palate tastes food?
12 Is wisdom with the aged,
and understanding in length of days?
13 ‘With God[d] are wisdom and strength;
he has counsel and understanding.
14 If he tears down, no one can rebuild;
if he shuts someone in, no one can open up.
15 If he withholds the waters, they dry up;
if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
16 With him are strength and wisdom;
the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leads counsellors away stripped,
and makes fools of judges.
18 He looses the sash of kings,
and binds a waistcloth on their loins.
19 He leads priests away stripped,
and overthrows the mighty.
20 He deprives of speech those who are trusted,
and takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 He pours contempt on princes,
and looses the belt of the strong.
22 He uncovers the deeps out of darkness,
and brings deep darkness to light.
23 He makes nations great, then destroys them;
he enlarges nations, then leads them away.
24 He strips understanding from the leaders[e] of the earth,
and makes them wander in a pathless waste.
25 They grope in the dark without light;
he makes them stagger like a drunkard.
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New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.