Job 12
12
Job Answers His Critics
1Then Job answered and said:
2“No doubt you are the people,
And wisdom will die with you!
3But I have understanding as well as you;
I am not #Job 13:2inferior to you.
Indeed, who does not know such things as these?
4“I#Job 21:3 am one mocked by his friends,
Who #Ps. 91:15called on God, and He answered him,
The just and blameless who is ridiculed.
5A lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease;
It is made ready for #Prov. 14:2those whose feet slip.
6#(Job 9:24; 21:6–16; Ps. 73:12; Jer. 12:1; Mal. 3:15)The tents of robbers prosper,
And those who provoke God are secure—
In what God provides by His hand.
7“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
8Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
9Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
10#(Acts 17:28)In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the #Job 27:3; 33:4breath of all mankind?
11Does not the ear test words
And the mouth taste its food?
12Wisdom is with aged men,
And with length of days, understanding.
13“With Him are #Job 9:4; 36:5wisdom and strength,
He has counsel and understanding.
14If #Job 11:10; Is. 25:2He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt;
If He imprisons a man, there can be no release.
15If He #Deut. 11:17; (1 Kin. 8:35, 36)withholds the waters, they dry up;
If He #Gen. 7:11–24sends them out, they overwhelm the earth.
16With Him are strength and prudence.
The deceived and the deceiver are His.
17He leads counselors away plundered,
And makes fools of the judges.
18He loosens the bonds of kings,
And binds their waist with a belt.
19He leads princes away plundered,
And overthrows the mighty.
20#Job 32:9He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And takes away the discernment of the elders.
21#(Job 34:19); Ps. 107:40; (Dan. 2:21)He pours contempt on princes,
And disarms the mighty.
22He #Dan. 2:22; (1 Cor. 4:5)uncovers deep things out of darkness,
And brings the shadow of death to light.
23#Is. 9:3; 26:15He makes nations great, and destroys them;
He enlarges nations, and guides them.
24He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth,
And #Ps. 107:4makes them wander in a pathless wilderness.
25#Job 5:14; 15:30; 18:18They grope in the dark without light,
And He makes them #Ps. 107:27stagger like a drunken man.
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Job 12: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Job 12
12
1Then Job answered:
2“No doubt you are the people,
and wisdom will die with you.
3But I have understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know such things as these?
4I am a laughingstock to my friends;
I, who called upon God and he answered me,
a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock.
5In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune;
it is ready for those whose feet slip.
6The tents of robbers are at peace,
and those who provoke God are secure,
who bring their god in their hand.#12.6 Hebrew uncertain
7“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
8or the plants of the earth,#12.8 Or speak to the earth and they will teach you;
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
9Who among all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of all mankind.
11Does not the ear try words
as the palate tastes food?
12Wisdom is with the aged,
and understanding in length of days.
13“With God#12.13 Heb him are wisdom and might;
he has counsel and understanding.
14If he tears down, none can rebuild;
if he shuts a man in, none can open.
15If he withholds the waters, they dry up;
if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
16With him are strength and wisdom;
the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17He leads counselors away stripped,
and judges he makes fools.
18He looses the bonds of kings,
and binds a waistcloth on their loins.
19He leads priests away stripped,
and overthrows the mighty.
20He deprives of speech those who are trusted,
and takes away the discernment of the elders.
21He pours contempt on princes,
and looses the belt of the strong.
22He uncovers the deeps out of darkness,
and brings deep darkness to light.
23He makes nations great, and he destroys them:
he enlarges nations, and leads them away.
24He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth,
and makes them wander in a pathless waste.
25They grope in the dark without light;
and he makes them stagger like a drunken man.
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Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America