Job 12:13-25
Expanded Bible
13 “But only God has wisdom and power,
·good advice [L advice] and understanding.
14 What he tears down cannot be rebuilt;
anyone he ·puts in prison [L shuts up] cannot be let out.
15 If God holds back the waters, ·there is no rain [L they dry up];
if he lets the waters go, they flood the land.
16 He is strong and ·victorious [successful; or resourceful];
both the one who ·fools others [deceives] and the one who is ·fooled [deceived] belong to him.
17 God leads ·the wise away [counselors] ·as captives [plundered]
and ·turns judges into fools [L renders judges deluded].
18 He ·takes off chains that kings put on [or loosens the sash of kings]
and ·puts a garment on their bodies [or tightens the waistcloth around their hips; C he undermines their royal prerogatives and powers and causes them pain].
19 He leads priests away ·naked [L plundered]
and destroys the ·powerful [L long-established].
20 He makes trusted people be silent
and takes away the ·wisdom [discernment] of elders.
21 He brings disgrace on ·important people [princes]
and ·takes away the weapons [L loosens the belt] of the strong.
22 He uncovers the deep things ·of [L from the] darkness
and brings dark shadows ·into [or to overshadow] the light [C can mean either that God lightens the dark or darkens the light].
23 He makes nations great and then destroys them;
he makes nations large and then scatters them.
24 He takes ·understanding [L heart] away from the leaders of the earth
and makes them wander through a ·pathless desert [chaos/wasteland without a path].
25 They ·feel around [grope] in darkness with no light;
he makes them ·stumble [L wander around] like drunks.
Job 12:13-25
New American Standard Bible
Job Speaks of the Power of God
13 “(A)Wisdom and (B)might are with Him;
Advice and (C)understanding belong to Him.
14 Behold, He (D)tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He [a](E)imprisons a person, and [b]there is no release.
15 Behold, He (F)restrains the waters, and they dry up;
And He (G)sends them out, and they [c]inundate the earth.
16 Strength and sound wisdom are with Him.
One who (H)goes astray and one who leads astray belong to Him.
17 He makes (I)advisers walk [d]barefoot
And makes fools of (J)judges.
18 He (K)undoes the binding of kings,
And ties a loincloth around their waist.
19 He makes priests walk [e]barefoot,
And overthrows (L)the secure ones.
20 He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And (M)takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 He (N)pours contempt on nobles,
And (O)loosens the belt of the strong.
22 He (P)reveals mysteries from the darkness,
And brings the deep darkness into light.
23 He (Q)makes the nations great, then destroys them;
He [f]enlarges the nations, then leads them away.
24 He (R)deprives the leaders of the earth’s people of [g]intelligence
And makes them wander in a pathless wasteland.
25 They (S)grope in darkness with no light,
And He makes them (T)stagger like a drunken person.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
