The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
King James Version KJV
1 Iyov responded:
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And Job answered and said,
2 "No doubt you are [the only] people [that matter]; and when you die, so will wisdom.
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No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
3 But I too have a brain, as much as you, In no way am I inferior to you. Besides, who doesn't know things like these?
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But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
4 "Anyone who calls on God, and he answers him, becomes a laughingstock to his friends -they make fun of an innocent, blameless man.
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I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.
5 Those at ease have contempt for misfortune, for the blow that strikes somebody already staggering.
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He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.
6 The tents of robbers prosper, [the homes of] those who anger God are secure, those who carry their gods in their hands.
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The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.
7 "But ask the animals - they will teach you -and the birds in the air - they will tell you;
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But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
8 or speak to the earth - it will teach you -and the fish in the sea will inform you:
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Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
9 every one of them knows that the hand of ADONAI has done this!
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Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?
10 In his hand is the life of every living thing and the spirit of every human being.
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In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
11 Shouldn't the ear test words, just as the palate tastes food?
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Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?
12 Is wisdom [only] with aged men? discernment [only] with long life?
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With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
13 "With God are wisdom and power; he has [good] counsel and understanding.
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With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.
14 When he breaks something down, it can't be rebuilt; when he imprisons someone, he can't be released.
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Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
15 When he holds back water, there is drought; when he sends it out, it overruns the land.
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Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
16 With him are strength and common sense; both the misled and those who mislead are his.
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With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leads counselors away captive, he makes fools of judges.
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He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.
18 He removes authority from kings, then binds them up [as prisoners].
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He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.
19 He leads cohanim away captive and overthrows those long in power.
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He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.
20 Those who are trusted he deprives of speech, and he removes the discernment of the aged.
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He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.
21 He pours contempt on princes and loosens the belt of the strong.
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He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.
22 He discloses the deepest recesses of darkness and brings light into shadows dark as death.
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He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
23 He makes nations great and destroys them; he enlarges nations, then leads them away.
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He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
24 He removes understanding from a country's leaders and makes them wander in trackless deserts.
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He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
25 They grope in unlit darkness; he makes them stagger like drunks.
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They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The King James Version is in the public domain.