13 “To God belong wisdom(A) and power;(B)
    counsel and understanding are his.(C)
14 What he tears down(D) cannot be rebuilt;(E)
    those he imprisons cannot be released.(F)
15 If he holds back the waters,(G) there is drought;(H)
    if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.(I)
16 To him belong strength and insight;(J)
    both deceived and deceiver are his.(K)
17 He leads rulers away stripped(L)
    and makes fools of judges.(M)
18 He takes off the shackles(N) put on by kings
    and ties a loincloth[a] around their waist.(O)
19 He leads priests away stripped(P)
    and overthrows officials long established.(Q)
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers
    and takes away the discernment of elders.(R)
21 He pours contempt on nobles(S)
    and disarms the mighty.(T)
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness(U)
    and brings utter darkness(V) into the light.(W)
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;(X)
    he enlarges nations,(Y) and disperses them.(Z)
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;(AA)
    he makes them wander in a trackless waste.(AB)
25 They grope in darkness with no light;(AC)
    he makes them stagger like drunkards.(AD)

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Footnotes

  1. Job 12:18 Or shackles of kings / and ties a belt

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