The Bible in Basic English BBE
Orthodox Jewish Bible OJB
1 And Job made answer and said,
1
2 And Iyov answered and said,
2 No doubt you have knowledge, and wisdom will come to an end with you.
2
Doubtless then ye are the people, and chochmah shall die with you.
3 But I have a mind as well as you; I am equal to you: yes, who has not knowledge of such things as these?
3
But I have levav (understanding) as well as you; I am not inferior to you; yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
4 It seems that I am to be as one who is a cause of laughing to his neighbour, one who makes his prayer to God and is answered! the upright man who has done no wrong is to be made sport of!
4
I am as a laughingstock to his neighbor: The man who calleth upon Eloah [they say of me], and He answereth him! [To them I am] a laughingstock, the tzaddik, the tamim (blameless one)!
5 In the thought of him who is in comfort there is no respect for one who is in trouble; such is the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
5
Those at ease have buz (contempt) for a downfall which awaits the one whose regel is slipping.
6 There is wealth in the tents of those who make destruction, and those by whom God is moved to wrath are safe; even those whose god is their strength.
6
The ohalim of shodedim (robbers) remain in peace; they that defy El are secure, who Eloah brought forth by His yad.
7 But put now a question to the beasts, and get teaching from them; or to the birds of the heaven, and they will make it clear to you;
7
But ask now the behemot, and they shall teach thee, and the oph haShomayim (birds of the air), and they shall tell thee;
8 Or to the things which go flat on the earth, and they will give you wisdom; and the fishes of the sea will give you news of it.
8
Or speak to ha’aretz, and it shall teach thee; and the dagim of the yam shall declare unto thee.
9 Who does not see by all these that the hand of the Lord has done this?
9
Of all of these, who lacketh da’as that the yad Hashem hath wrought this?
10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all flesh of man.
10
In whose yad is the nefesh of every living thing, and the ruach of kol basar ish.
11 Are not words tested by the ear, even as food is tasted by the mouth?
11
Doth not the ozen (ear) test words? And the mouth tastes its ochel?
12 Old men have wisdom, and a long life gives knowledge.
12
With the ancient ones is chochmah; and in orech yamim (length of days) is binah (understanding).
13 With him there is wisdom and strength; power and knowledge are his.
13
With Him is chochmah and gevurah; He hath etzah and understanding.
14 Truly, there is no building up of what is pulled down by him; when a man is shut up by him, no one may let him loose.
14
See, what He tears down cannot be reconstructed; He shutteth up an ish, and there can be no prison release.
15 Truly, he keeps back the waters and they are dry; he sends them out and the earth is overturned.
15
See, He withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; also He sendeth them out, and they overturn eretz.
16 With him are strength and wise designs; he who is guided into error, together with his guide, are in his hands;
16
With Him is oz (strength) and tushiyyah (true wisdom); the deceived and the deceiver are His.
17 He takes away the wisdom of the wise guides, and makes judges foolish;
17
He leadeth yoatzim (counsellors) away stripped, and maketh the shofetim (judges) fools.
18 He undoes the chains of kings, and puts his band on them;
18
He looseth the shackle of melachim (kings), and girdeth their loins with loincloth.
19 He makes priests prisoners, overturning those in safe positions;
19
He leadeth kohanim away stripped, and overthroweth the mighty.
20 He makes the words of responsible persons without effect, and takes away the good sense of the old;
20
He removeth the speech of the ne’emanim (trusted ones), and taketh away the understanding of the zekenim.
21 He puts shame on chiefs, and takes away the power of the strong;
21
He poureth buz (contempt) upon nobles, and loosens the belt of the mighty.
22 Uncovering deep things out of the dark, and making the deep shade bright;
22
He uncovers the depths of choshech, and bringeth tzalmavet to light.
23 Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.
23
He giveth prosperity to the Goyim, and then destroyeth them; He enlargeth them, and then carrieth the Goyim away.
24 He takes away the wisdom of the rulers of the earth, and sends them wandering in a waste where there is no way.
24
He taketh away the lev (understanding) of the Rashei Am HaAretz, and sendeth them to tohu lo derech (trackless wilderness).
25 They go feeling about in the dark without light, wandering without help like those overcome with wine.
25
They grope in the choshech without ohr, and He maketh them to stagger like a shikkor (drunken man).
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.