| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 1Then Job answered and said: | 1Then Job answered and said: |
| 2“No doubt you are the people, And wisdom will die with you! | 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. Indeed, who does not know such things as these? | 3But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these? |
| 4“I am one mocked by his friends, Who called on God, and He answered him, The just and blameless who is ridiculed. | 4I am a laughingstock to my friends; I, who called to God and he answered me, a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock. |
| 5A lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease; It is made ready for those whose feet slip. | 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 prosper, And those who provoke God are secure— In what God provides by His hand. | 6The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who provoke God are secure, who bring their god in their hand. |
| 7“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you; | 7“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, 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. | 8or the bushes of 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, | 9Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? |
| 10In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind? | 10In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. |
| 11Does not the ear test words And the mouth taste its food? | 11Does not the ear test words as the palate tastes food? |
| 12Wisdom is with aged men, And with length of days, understanding. | 12Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days. |
| 13“With Him are wisdom and strength, He has counsel and understanding. | 13“With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding. |
| 14If He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt; If He imprisons a man, there can be no release. | 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 earth. | 15If he withholds the waters, they dry up; if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land. |
| 16With Him are strength and prudence. The deceived and the deceiver are His. | 16With him are strength and sound wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are his. |
| 17He leads counselors away plundered, And makes fools of the judges. | 17He leads counselors away stripped, and judges he makes fools. |
| 18He loosens the bonds of kings, And binds their waist with a belt. | 18He looses the bonds of kings and binds a waistcloth on their hips. |
| 19He leads princes away plundered, And overthrows the mighty. | 19He leads priests away stripped and overthrows the mighty. |
| 20He deprives the trusted ones of speech, And takes away the discernment of the elders. | 20He deprives of speech those who are trusted and takes away the discernment of the elders. |
| 21He pours contempt on princes, And disarms the mighty. | 21He pours contempt on princes and loosens the belt of the strong. |
| 22He uncovers deep things out of darkness, And brings the shadow of death to light. | 22He uncovers the deeps out of darkness and brings deep darkness to light. |
| 23He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them. | 23He makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations, and leads them away. |
| 24He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, And makes them wander in a pathless wilderness. | 24He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth and makes them wander in a trackless waste. |
| 25They grope in the dark without light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man. | 25They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them stagger like a drunken man. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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