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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.

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13 With God[a] is wisdom and strength;
    counsel and understanding belongs to him.
14 When he tears down, nobody rebuilds;
    when[b] he incarcerates, nobody escapes.
15 When he withholds water, rivers[c] dry up;
    when he lets them loose, they’ll flood[d] the land.

16 “With God[e] are strength and sound wisdom;
    both the deceived and those who deceive are responsible to him.[f]
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.[g]
20 He keeps reliable advisors from speaking,[h]
    and removes discernment from elders.
21 He pours contempt on nobles
    and embarrasses[i] 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.[j]
24 He withdraws understanding[k] from national leaders of the world,[l]
    causing them to wander through uncharted[m] wilderness.
25 They grope in the dark without light;
    he causes them to stagger around like a drunkard.”

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Footnotes

  1. Job 12:13 Lit. him
  2. Job 12:14 Lit. man
  3. Job 12:15 Lit. they
  4. Job 12:15 Lit. overthrow
  5. Job 12:16 Lit. him
  6. Job 12:16 Or are his
  7. Job 12:19 Lit. strong ones
  8. Job 12:20 Lit. deprives the lips of advisors
  9. Job 12:21 Lit. and loosens the belt of
  10. Job 12:23 The Heb. lacks to captivity
  11. Job 12:24 Lit. heart
  12. Job 12:24 Or land
  13. Job 12:24 Or trackless