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13 “With him are wisdom and powerful deeds,
and to him belong counsel and understanding.
14 If he tears down, then[a] it will not be rebuilt;
if he shuts a man in, then[b] he cannot be freed.
15 Look, if he withholds the water,[c] then[d] they dry up;
and if he sends them out, then[e] they overwhelm the land.
16 “Strength and sound wisdom are with him;
the deceived and the deceiver are his.[f]
17 He leads counselors away stripped,
and he makes fools of judges.
18 He loosens the fetters of kings,
and he binds a loincloth on their loins.
19 He leads priests away stripped,
and he overthrows the members of ancient families.[g]
20 He deprives the trustworthy of speech,
and he takes away the discretion of elders.
21 He pours contempt on noblemen,
and he loosens the girdle of the mighty.
22 “He uncovers mysteries out of darkness,
and he brings deep shadow to the light.
23 He makes the nations great, then[h] he destroys them;
he expands the nations, then[i] he guides them.
24 He strips away the insight of the heads of the earth’s people,
and he makes them wander in a pathless wasteland.[j]
25 They grope in the dark without[k] light,
and he makes them stagger like a[l] drunkard.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 12:14 Hebrew “and”
  2. Job 12:14 Hebrew “and”
  3. Job 12:15 Or “waters”
  4. Job 12:15 Hebrew “and”
  5. Job 12:15 Hebrew “and”
  6. Job 12:16 Or “for him”
  7. Job 12:19 Literally “the constant”
  8. Job 12:23 Hebrew “and”
  9. Job 12:23 Hebrew “and”
  10. Job 12:24 Literally “in a wasteland not a way”
  11. Job 12:25 Literally “and not”
  12. Job 12:25 Hebrew “the”

13 “With Him are (A)wisdom and strength,
He has counsel and understanding.
14 If (B)He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt;
If He imprisons a man, there can be no release.
15 If He (C)withholds the waters, they dry up;
If He (D)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 [a]princes away plundered,
And overthrows the mighty.
20 (E)He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 (F)He pours contempt on princes,
And [b]disarms the mighty.
22 He (G)uncovers deep things out of darkness,
And brings the shadow of death to light.
23 (H)He makes nations great, and destroys them;
He [c]enlarges nations, and guides them.
24 He takes away the [d]understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth,
And (I)makes them wander in a pathless wilderness.
25 (J)They grope in the dark without light,
And He makes them (K)stagger like a drunken man.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 12:19 Lit. priests, but not in a technical sense
  2. Job 12:21 loosens the belt of
  3. Job 12:23 Lit. spreads out
  4. Job 12:24 Lit. heart