| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Then Job answered and said: | 1Then Job answered: |
| 2“No doubt you are the people, And wisdom will die with you! | 2"Without a 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? | 3I also 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 on God and whom he answered--a righteous and blameless man is a laughingstock! |
| 5A lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease; It is made ready for those whose feet slip. | 5For calamity, there is derision (according to the ideas of the fortunate)--a fate for those whose feet slip! |
| 6The tents of robbers prosper, And those who provoke God are secure— In what God provides by His hand. | 6But the tents of robbers are peaceful, and those who provoke God are confident--who carry their god in their hands. |
| 7“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you; | 7"But now, ask the animals and they will teach you, or the birds of the sky 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 speak to the earth and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea declare to you. |
| 9Who among all these does not know That the hand of the LORD has done this, | 9Which of 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 whose hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all the human race. |
| 11Does not the ear test words And the mouth taste its food? | 11Does not the ear test words, as the tongue tastes food? |
| 12Wisdom is with aged men, And with length of days, understanding. | 12Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding? |
| 13“With Him are wisdom and strength, He has counsel and understanding. | 13"With God are wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his. |
| 14If He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt; If He imprisons a man, there can be no release. | 14If he tears down, it cannot be rebuilt; if he imprisons a person, there is no escape. |
| 15If He withholds the waters, they dry up; If He sends them out, they overwhelm the earth. | 15If he holds back the waters, then they dry up; if he releases them, they destroy the land. |
| 16With Him are strength and prudence. The deceived and the deceiver are His. | 16With him are strength and prudence; both the one who goes astray and the one who misleads are his. |
| 17He leads counselors away plundered, And makes fools of the judges. | 17He leads counselors away stripped and makes judges into fools. |
| 18He loosens the bonds of kings, And binds their waist with a belt. | 18He loosens the bonds of kings and binds a loincloth around their waist. |
| 19He leads princes away plundered, And overthrows the mighty. | 19He leads priests away stripped and overthrows the potentates. |
| 20He deprives the trusted ones of speech, And takes away the discernment of the elders. | 20He deprives the trusted advisers of speech and takes away the discernment of elders. |
| 21He pours contempt on princes, And disarms the mighty. | 21He pours contempt on noblemen and disarms the powerful. |
| 22He uncovers deep things out of darkness, And brings the shadow of death to light. | 22He reveals the deep things of darkness, and brings deep shadows into the light. |
| 23He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them. | 23He makes nations great, and destroys them; he extends the boundaries of nations and disperses them. |
| 24He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, And makes them wander in a pathless wilderness. | 24He deprives the leaders of the earth of their understanding; he makes them wander in a trackless desert waste. |
| 25They grope in the dark without light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man. | 25They grope about in darkness without light; he makes them stagger like drunkards. |
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