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.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 12:14 Lit shuts against
  2. Job 12:14 Lit it is not opened
  3. Job 12:15 Lit overturn
  4. Job 12:17 Or stripped
  5. Job 12:19 Or stripped
  6. Job 12:23 Or spreads out
  7. Job 12:24 Lit heart

13 Wisdom and strength belong to God;
counsel and understanding are His.(A)
14 Whatever He tears down cannot be rebuilt;
whoever He imprisons cannot be released.(B)
15 When He withholds the waters, everything dries up,
and when He releases them, they destroy the land.(C)
16 True wisdom and power belong to Him.
The deceived and the deceiver are His.
17 He leads counselors away barefoot
and makes judges go mad.(D)
18 He releases the bonds[a] put on by kings(E)
and fastens a belt around their waists.
19 He leads priests away barefoot
and overthrows established leaders.(F)
20 He deprives trusted advisers of speech
and takes away the elders’ good judgment.
21 He pours out contempt on nobles
and disarms[b] the strong.
22 He reveals mysteries from the darkness
and brings the deepest darkness into the light.(G)
23 He makes nations great, then destroys them;
He enlarges nations,(H) then leads them away.
24 He deprives the world’s leaders of reason,
and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.(I)
25 They grope around in darkness without light;
He makes them stagger like drunken men.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. Job 12:18 Text emended; MT reads discipline
  2. Job 12:21 Lit and loosens the belt of