| New International Version | International Standard Version |
| 1Then Job replied: | 1In response Job replied: |
| 2"Doubtless you are the only people who matter, and wisdom will die with you! | 2"Truly, you are the people and wisdom will die with you! |
| 3But I have a mind as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know all these things? | 3Like you, I also have understanding. I'm not inferior to you; who doesn't know things like this?" |
| 4"I have become a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God and he answered-- a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless! | 4"I'm a laughingstock to my friends, someone who called on God. But then he answered this upright and blameless man, and I have become a laughingstock. |
| 5Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping. | 5The carefree are thinking, 'I have contempt for misfortune,' Those who are about to stumble deserve it. |
| 6The tents of marauders are undisturbed, and those who provoke God are secure-- those God has in his hand. | 6The tents of robbers are at rest, and those who provoke God are secure, that is, those who carry their god in their pocket. |
| 7"But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; | 7"Ask the wild animals, and they'll teach you; the birds of the sky will tell you. |
| 8or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. | 8Or ask the green plants of the earth and they'll teach you; let the fish in the sea tell you. |
| 9Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? | 9Who among all of these doesn't know that the LORD's hand made them, |
| 10In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. | 10and that the life of every living thing rests in his control, along with the breath of every living human being? |
| 11Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes food? | 11The ear scrutinizes speech just as the palate tastes food." |
| 12Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding? | 12"Wisdom may be found in the company of the aged. Understanding comes with longevity. |
| 13"To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his. | 13With God is wisdom and strength; counsel and understanding belongs to him. |
| 14What he tears down cannot be rebuilt; those he imprisons cannot be released. | 14When he tears down, nobody rebuilds; when he incarcerates, nobody escapes. |
| 15If he holds back the waters, there is drought; if he lets them loose, they devastate the land. | 15When he withholds water, rivers dry up; when he lets them loose, they'll flood the land. |
| 16To him belong strength and insight; both deceived and deceiver are his. | 16"With God are strength and sound wisdom; both the deceived and those who deceive are responsible to him. |
| 17He leads rulers away stripped and makes fools of judges. | 17He leads counselors away naked; he turns judges into fools. |
| 18He takes off the shackles put on by kings and ties a loincloth around their waist. | 18He strips away the authority of kings to punish and puts them in prison clothes instead. |
| 19He leads priests away stripped and overthrows officials long established. | 19He leads away the priests naked and overthrows the ruling class. |
| 20He silences the lips of trusted advisers and takes away the discernment of elders. | 20He keeps reliable advisors from speaking, and removes discernment from elders. |
| 21He pours contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty. | 21He pours contempt on nobles and embarrasses the mighty. |
| 22He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light. | 22He uncovers the hidden dimensions from darkness, bringing what is in deep shadow to light. |
| 23He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them. | 23He makes nations great, and then destroys them; he enlarges nations, but then sends them away to captivity. |
| 24He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason; he makes them wander in a trackless waste. | 24He withdraws understanding from national leaders of the world, causing them to wander through uncharted wilderness. |
| 25They grope in darkness with no light; he makes them stagger like drunkards. | 25They grope in the dark without light; he causes them to stagger around like a drunkard." |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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