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Job 12

Holman Christian Standard Bible, 2009 (HCSB)

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¹ Then Job answered:

² No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you!

³ But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who doesn’t know the things you are talking about? [1] ⓐ

⁴ I am a laughingstock to my [2] friends, by calling on God, who answers me. [3] The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock. ⓑ

⁵ The one who is at ease ⓒ holds calamity in contempt and thinks it is prepared for those whose feet are slipping.

⁶ The tents of robbers are safe, ⓓ and those who provoke God are secure; God’s power provides this. [4] ⓔ

⁷ But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. ⓕ

⁸ Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct you; let the fish of the sea inform you.

⁹ Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? ⓖ

¹⁰ The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind. ⓗ

¹¹ Doesn’t the ear test words as the palate tastes food?

¹² Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life. ⓘ

¹³ Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His. ⓙ

¹⁴ Whatever He tears down cannot be rebuilt; whoever He imprisons cannot be released. ⓚ

¹⁵ When He withholds the waters, everything dries up, and when He releases them, they destroy the land. ⓛ

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. ⓜ

¹⁸ He releases the bonds [5] put on by kings ⓝ and fastens a belt around their waists.

¹⁹ He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows established leaders. ⓞ

²⁰ He deprives trusted advisers of speech and takes away the elders’ good judgment.

²¹ He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms [6] the strong.

²² He reveals mysteries from the darkness and brings the deepest darkness into the light. ⓟ

²³ He makes nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges nations, ⓠ then leads them away.

²⁴ He deprives the world’s leaders of reason, and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland. ⓡ

²⁵ They grope around in darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunken men. ⓢ

#	HCSB
1	Then Job answered:
2	No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you!
3	But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who doesn’t know the things you are talking about? [1] ⓐ
4	I am a laughingstock to my [2] friends, by calling on God, who answers me. [3] The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock. ⓑ
5	The one who is at ease ⓒ holds calamity in contempt and thinks it is prepared for those whose feet are slipping.
6	The tents of robbers are safe, ⓓ and those who provoke God are secure; God’s power provides this. [4] ⓔ
7	But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. ⓕ
8	Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct you; let the fish of the sea inform you.
9	Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? ⓖ
10	The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind. ⓗ
11	Doesn’t the ear test words as the palate tastes food?
12	Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life. ⓘ
13	Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His. ⓙ
14	Whatever He tears down cannot be rebuilt; whoever He imprisons cannot be released. ⓚ
15	When He withholds the waters, everything dries up, and when He releases them, they destroy the land. ⓛ
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. ⓜ
18	He releases the bonds [5] put on by kings ⓝ and fastens a belt around their waists.
19	He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows established leaders. ⓞ
20	He deprives trusted advisers of speech and takes away the elders’ good judgment.
21	He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms [6] the strong.
22	He reveals mysteries from the darkness and brings the deepest darkness into the light. ⓟ
23	He makes nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges nations, ⓠ then leads them away.
24	He deprives the world’s leaders of reason, and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland. ⓡ
25	They grope around in darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunken men. ⓢ

Footnotes & Cross-References

Cross-References

^{Job 12:6 [17]} Or those whose god is in their own hand

^{Job 12:18 [18]} Or shackles of kings / and ties a belt

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