Job 12

International Children’s Bible

² “You really think you are the only wise people.
    You think when you die wisdom will die with you.
³ But my mind is as good as yours.
    You are not better than I am.
    Everyone knows all these things.
⁴ My friends all laugh at me
    when I call on God and expect him to answer me.
    They laugh at me even though I am right and innocent!
⁵ People who are comfortable don’t care that others have trouble.
    They think that people who are in trouble should have more troubles.
⁶ The tents of robbers are not bothered.
    Those who make God angry are safe.
    They have their god in their pocket.

⁷ “But ask the animals, and they will teach you.
    Or ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
⁸ Speak to the earth, and it will teach you.
    Or let the fish of the sea tell you.
⁹ Every one of these knows
    that the hand of the Lord has done this.
¹⁰ The life of every creature
    and the breath of all people are in God’s hand.
¹¹ The ear tests words
    as the tongue tastes food.
¹² Older people are supposed to be wise.
    Long life is supposed to bring understanding.

¹³ “But God has wisdom and power.
    He has good advice and understanding.
¹⁴ What God tears down cannot be rebuilt.
    The man God puts in prison cannot be let out.
¹⁵ If God holds back the waters, there is a time without rain.
    But if he lets the waters go, they flood the land.
¹⁶ God is strong and victorious.
    Both the person who fools others and the one who is fooled belong to him.
¹⁷ God leads wise men away as captives.
    He turns wise judges into fools.
¹⁸ God takes the royal belt off of kings.
    And he dresses them like prisoners with only a cloth around their waist.
¹⁹ He leads priests away as captives.
    He destroys the power of those who have been powerful.
²⁰ God makes trusted people be silent.
    And he takes away the wisdom of elders.
²¹ God brings disgrace on important people.
    And he takes away the weapons of the strong.
²² God uncovers the deep things of darkness.
    He brings dark shadows into the light.
²³ He makes nations great, and he destroys them.
    He makes nations large, and he scatters them.
²⁴ He takes understanding away from the leaders of the earth.
    He makes them wander through a desert with no paths.
²⁵ They feel around in darkness with no light.
    God makes them stumble around like drunken people.