Job 12  Living Bible

12 Job’s reply:

² “Yes, I realize you know everything! All wisdom will die with you! ³ Well, I know a few things myself—you are no better than I am. And who doesn’t know these things you’ve been saying? ⁴ I, the man who begged God for help, and God answered him, have become a laughingstock to my neighbors. Yes, I, a righteous man, am now the man they scoff at. ⁵ Meanwhile, the rich mock those in trouble and are quick to despise all those in need. ⁶ For robbers prosper. Go ahead and provoke God—it makes no difference! He will supply your every need anyway!

^7-9 “Who doesn’t know that the Lord does things like that? Ask the dumbest beast—he knows that it is so; ask the birds—they will tell you; or let the earth teach you, or the fish of the sea. ¹⁰ For the soul of every living thing is in the hand of God, and the breath of all mankind. ¹¹ Just as my mouth can taste good food, so my mind tastes truth when I hear it. ¹² And as you say, older men like me^[a] are wise. They understand. ¹³ But true wisdom and power are God’s. He alone knows what we should do; he understands.

¹⁴ “And how great is his might! What he destroys can’t be rebuilt. When he closes in on a man, there is no escape. ¹⁵ He withholds the rain, and the earth becomes a desert; he sends the storms and floods the ground. ¹⁶ Yes, with him is strength and wisdom. Deceivers and deceived are both his slaves.

¹⁷ “He makes fools of counselors and judges. ¹⁸ He reduces kings to slaves and frees their servants. ¹⁹ Priests are led away as slaves. He overthrows the mighty. ²⁰ He takes away the voice of orators and the insight of the elders. ²¹ He pours contempt upon princes and weakens the strong. ²² He floods the darkness with light, even the dark shadow of death. ²³ He raises up a nation and then destroys it. He makes it great, and then reduces it to nothing. ^24-25 He takes away the understanding of presidents and kings, and leaves them wandering, lost and groping, without a guiding light.