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Job 12

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

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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 like you; 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 trouble God are secure; God holds them in his hands. [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 water, everything dries up, and when he releases it, it destroys 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 a drunkard. ⓐ

#	CSB
1	Then Job answered:
2	No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you!
3	But I also have a mind like you; 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 trouble God are secure; God holds them in his hands. [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 water, everything dries up, and when he releases it, it destroys 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 a drunkard. ⓐ

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Job 12

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