Job 12
1599 Geneva Bible
12 2 Job accuseth his friends of ignorance. 7 He declareth the might, and power of God. 17 And how he changeth the course of things.
1 Then Job answered, and said,
2 Indeed because that ye are the people only, [a]wisdom must die with you.
3 But I have understanding as well as you, and am not inferior unto you: yea, who knoweth not such things?
4 (A)I am [b]as one mocked of his neighbor, who calleth upon God, and he [c]heareth him: the just and the upright is laughed to scorn.
5 [d]He that is ready to fall, is as a lamp despised in the opinion of the rich.
6 The tabernacles of robbers do prosper, and they are in safety, that provoke God, [e]whom God hath enriched with his hand.
7 Ask now the beasts, [f]and they shall teach thee, and the fowls of the heaven, and they shall tell thee:
8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall show thee: or the fishes of the sea, and they shall declare unto thee.
9 Who is ignorant of all these, but that the hand of the Lord hath made these?
10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all [g]mankind.
11 Doth not the ears [h]discern the words, and the mouth taste meat for itself?
12 Among the [i]ancient is wisdom, and in the length of days is understanding.
13 With him is wisdom and strength: he hath counsel and understanding.
14 Behold, he will break down, and it cannot be built: he shutteth a man up, and he cannot be loosed.
15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: but when he sendeth them out, they destroy the earth.
16 With him is strength and wisdom: he that is deceived, and that [j]deceiveth, are his.
17 He causeth the counselors to go as spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.
18 [k]He looseth [l]the collar of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.
19 He leadeth away the princes as a prey, and overthroweth the mighty.
20 He taketh away the speech from the [m]faithful counselors, and taketh away the judgment of the ancient.
21 He poureth contempt upon princes, and maketh the strength of the mighty weak.
22 He discovereth the deep places from their darkness, and bringeth forth the shadow of death to light.
23 He [n]increaseth the people, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and bringeth them in again.
24 He taketh away the hearts of them that are the chief over the people of the earth, and maketh them to wander in the wilderness out of the way.
25 They grope in the dark without light: and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
Footnotes
- Job 12:2 Because you feel not that which you speak, you think the whole standeth in words, and so flatter yourselves as though none knew anything, or could know but you.
- Job 12:4 He reproveth these his friends of two faults: the one that they thought they had better knowledge than indeed they had: and the other, that instead of true consolation, they did deride and despise their friend in his adversity.
- Job 12:4 The which neighbor being a mocker and a wicked man, thinketh that no man is in God’s favor but he, because he hath all things that he desireth.
- Job 12:5 As the rich esteem not a light, or torch that goeth out, so is he despised that falleth from prosperity to adversity.
- Job 12:6 Hebrew, to whom God hath brought in with his hand.
- Job 12:7 He declareth to them that did dispute against him, that their wisdom is common to all, and such as the very brute beasts do daily teach.
- Job 12:10 Or, flesh.
- Job 12:11 He exhorteth them to be wise in judging, and as well to know the right use why God hath given them ears, as he hath done a mouth.
- Job 12:12 Though men by age, and continuance of time attain to wisdom, yet it is not comparable to God’s wisdom, nor able to comprehend his judgments, wherein he answereth to that which was alleged, Job 8:8.
- Job 12:16 He showeth that there is nothing done in this world without God’s will and ordinance, for else he should not be Almighty.
- Job 12:18 He taketh wisdom from them.
- Job 12:18 He abateth the honor of princes, and bringeth them into the subjection of others.
- Job 12:20 He causeth that their words have no credit, which is when he will punish sin.
- Job 12:23 In this discourse of God’s wonderful works, Job showeth that whatsoever is done in this world both in the order and change of things, is by God’s will and appointment: wherein he declareth that he thinketh well of God, and is as able to set forth his power in words as they that reasoned against, were.
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.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
