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Job 12

Job replies to Zophar [ a ]

12 Then Job replied. This is what he said:

2 ‘You people think that you know everything.
You think that there will be no wisdom after you die.
3 But I understand things as well as you.
You are no better than I am.
Everyone knows the things that you have been saying.
4 I am a person who prayed to God and he answered me.
But my friends now laugh at me.
I have always lived completely in the right way.
But still my friends laugh at me.
5 Some people never have any troubles.
They think that people who suffer are fools.
If people are in trouble,
they knock them down!
6 But robbers seem to live in peace.
They cause God to be angry
but they think that they are safe.
They trust their own strength as their god.

7 Ask the animals and they will teach you.
The birds in the sky would tell you the truth.
8 Speak to the earth and it will teach you.
The fish in the sea would tell you what is right.
9 Any of them could tell you that the Lord has done this.
10 He has authority over the life of all the animals.
He gives breath to all people so that they can live.
11 We use our mouths to taste food.
And we use our ears to test what we hear.
12 Old people are often wise.
People who have lived for a long time understand things better.
13 God is wise and he is also powerful.
He understands things and he gives good advice.
14 If God destroys something,
nobody can repair it.
If God puts someone in prison,
that person cannot escape.
15 If God stops the rain, the land becomes dry.
If he sends lots of rain, there are floods.
16 God has strength and wisdom.
He has power over people who tell lies,
and the people that they deceive.
17 He causes clever people to become ashamed.
He causes leaders to do foolish things.
18 He takes authority away from kings.
He dresses them like slaves.
19 He causes priests to become ashamed.
He removes the power of important people.
20 He stops faithful men from giving advice.
He removes the wisdom of old men.
21 He causes rulers to be ashamed.
He destroys the power of strong men.
22 He shows people things that have been secrets.
He shines light into dark places.
23 He can make nations become great.
He can also destroy them.
He can make their land become bigger.
He can also send their people away to other places.
24 He stops the world's leaders from understanding things properly.
He sends them to travel through empty deserts.
25 They try to walk in the dark, without any light.
He causes them to walk like drunk men.

Footnotes

  1. 12:1 In chapters 12 to 14, Job speaks, first to Zophar and then to God. The things that Zophar has said do not help Job. Job knows everything that Zophar has told him. The wrong things that he has done have not caused his troubles. He knows that. Then Job speaks to God. He asks God to stop making him afraid. He asks God to stop all the bad things that are happening.

Job Answers His Friends

12 Then Job answered them:

2 “I’m sure you think you are
the only wise people left.
You think that when you die,
wisdom will be gone with you.
3 But my mind is as good as yours.
You aren’t any smarter than I am.
You haven’t said anything
that people don’t already know.

4 “My friends laugh at me now.
They say, ‘He prayed to God and got his answer.’
I am a good, innocent man,
but still they laugh at me.
5 Those who have no troubles make fun of those who do.
They hit a man when he is down.
6 But robbers’ tents are not bothered.
Those who make God angry live in peace,
even though God has them in his power.

7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you.
Or ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you.
Or let the fish in the sea tell you their wisdom.
9 Everyone knows
that the Lord made these things.
10 Every animal that lives and everyone who breathes—
they are all under God’s power.
11 But just as the tongue tastes food,
the ears test the words they hear.
12 People say, ‘Wisdom is to be found in those who are old.
Long life brings understanding.’
13 But wisdom and power belong to God.
Good advice and understanding are his.
14 Anything God tears down cannot be rebuilt.
Anyone he puts in prison cannot be set free.
15 If he holds back the rain, the earth will dry up.
If he lets the rain loose, it will flood the land.
16 God is strong and always wins.
He controls those who fool others and those who are fooled.
17 He strips advisors of their wisdom
and makes leaders act like fools.
18 He strips kings of their authority
and makes them slaves.
19 He strips priests of their power
and removes those who feel so secure in their position.
20 He makes trusted advisors be silent.
He takes away the wisdom of the older leaders.
21 He brings disgrace to important people.
He takes power away from rulers.
22 He exposes even the darkest secrets.
He sends light into places that are as dark as death.
23 God makes nations great,
and then he destroys them.
He makes nations grow large,
and then he scatters their people.
24 He makes their leaders foolish.
He makes them wander around in the desert.
25 They are like someone feeling their way in the dark.
They are like drunks who don’t know where they are going.

12 And Job answered and said,

2 No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.

5 He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

6 The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

9 Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?

10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

11 Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?

12 With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.

13 With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.

14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.

15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

16 With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.

17 He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.

18 He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.

19 He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.

20 He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.

21 He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

23 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.

24 He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

25 They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.

Job Chides His Accusers

12 Then Job responded,

2 “Truly then ( A ) you are the people,
And with you wisdom will die!
3 But ( B ) I have intelligence as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
And [ a ] who does not know such things as these?
4 I am a ( C ) joke to [ b ] my friends,
The one who called on God and He answered him;
The just and ( D ) blameless man is a joke.
5 [ c ] He who is at ease holds disaster in contempt,
As prepared for those whose feet slip.
6 The ( E ) tents of the destroyers prosper,
And those who provoke God ( F ) are secure,
[ d ] Whom God brings ( G ) into their power.

7 “But just ask the animals, and have them teach you;
And the birds of the sky, and have them tell you.
8 Or speak to the earth, and have it teach you;
And have the fish of the sea tell you.
9 Who among all these does not know
That ( H ) the hand of the Lord has done this,
10 ( I ) In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And ( J ) the breath of all mankind?
11 Does ( K ) the ear not put words to the test,
As the palate [ e ] tastes its food?
12 Wisdom is with the ( L ) aged,
And with [ f ] long life comes understanding.

Job Speaks of the Power of God

13 “ ( M ) Wisdom and ( N ) might are with Him;
Advice and ( O ) understanding belong to Him.
14 Behold, He ( P ) tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He [ g ] ( Q ) imprisons a person, and [ h ] there is no release.
15 Behold, He ( R ) restrains the waters, and they dry up;
And He ( S ) sends them out, and they [ i ] inundate the earth.
16 Strength and sound wisdom are with Him.
One who ( T ) goes astray and one who leads astray belong to Him.
17 He makes ( U ) advisers walk [ j ] barefoot
And makes fools of ( V ) judges.
18 He ( W ) undoes the binding of kings,
And ties a loincloth around their waist.
19 He makes priests walk [ k ] barefoot,
And overthrows ( X ) the secure ones.
20 He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And ( Y ) takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 He ( Z ) pours contempt on nobles,
And ( AA ) loosens the belt of the strong.
22 He ( AB ) reveals mysteries from the darkness,
And brings the deep darkness into light.
23 He ( AC ) makes the nations great, then destroys them;
He [ l ] enlarges the nations, then leads them away.
24 He ( AD ) deprives the leaders of the earth’s people of [ m ] intelligence
And makes them wander in a pathless wasteland.
25 They ( AE ) grope in darkness with no light,
And He makes them ( AF ) stagger like a drunken person.

Footnotes

  1. Job 12:3 Lit with whom is there not like these ?
  2. Job 12:4 Lit his
  3. Job 12:5 Lit Contempt for calamity is the thought of him who is at ease
  4. Job 12:6 Or He who brings God into his hand .
  5. Job 12:11 Lit tastes food for itself
  6. Job 12:12 Lit length of days
  7. Job 12:14 Lit shuts against
  8. Job 12:14 Lit it is not opened
  9. Job 12:15 Lit overturn
  10. Job 12:17 Or stripped
  11. Job 12:19 Or stripped
  12. Job 12:23 Or spreads out
  13. Job 12:24 Lit heart

Job

12 Then Job replied:

2 “Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
and wisdom will die with you! ( A )
3 But I have a mind as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know all these things? ( B )

4 “I have become a laughingstock ( C ) to my friends, ( D )
though I called on God and he answered ( E ) —
a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless! ( F )
5 Those who are at ease have contempt ( G ) for misfortune
as the fate of those whose feet are slipping. ( H )
6 The tents of marauders are undisturbed, ( I )
and those who provoke God are secure ( J ) —
those God has in his hand. [ a ]

7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, ( K )
or the birds in the sky, ( L ) and they will tell you; ( M )
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know ( N )
that the hand of the Lord has done this? ( O )
10 In his hand is the life ( P ) of every creature
and the breath of all mankind. ( Q )
11 Does not the ear test words
as the tongue tastes food? ( R )
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged? ( S )
Does not long life bring understanding? ( T )

13 “To God belong wisdom ( U ) and power; ( V )
counsel and understanding are his. ( W )
14 What he tears down ( X ) cannot be rebuilt; ( Y )
those he imprisons cannot be released. ( Z )
15 If he holds back the waters, ( AA ) there is drought; ( AB )
if he lets them loose, they devastate the land. ( AC )
16 To him belong strength and insight; ( AD )
both deceived and deceiver are his. ( AE )
17 He leads rulers away stripped ( AF )
and makes fools of judges. ( AG )
18 He takes off the shackles ( AH ) put on by kings
and ties a loincloth [ b ] around their waist. ( AI )
19 He leads priests away stripped ( AJ )
and overthrows officials long established. ( AK )
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers
and takes away the discernment of elders. ( AL )
21 He pours contempt on nobles ( AM )
and disarms the mighty. ( AN )
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness ( AO )
and brings utter darkness ( AP ) into the light. ( AQ )
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them; ( AR )
he enlarges nations, ( AS ) and disperses them. ( AT )
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason; ( AU )
he makes them wander in a trackless waste. ( AV )
25 They grope in darkness with no light; ( AW )
he makes them stagger like drunkards. ( AX )

Footnotes

  1. Job 12:6 Or those whose god is in their own hand
  2. Job 12:18 Or shackles of kings / and ties a belt
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