The Message Bible MSG
King James Version KJV
1 Job answered:
1
And Job answered and said,
2 "I'm sure you speak for all the experts, and when you die there'll be no one left to tell us how to live.
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No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
3 But don't forget that I also have a brain - I don't intend to play second fiddle to you. It doesn't take an expert to know these things.
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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 "I'm ridiculed by my friends: 'So that's the man who had conversations with God!' Ridiculed without mercy: 'Look at the man who never did wrong!'
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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 It's easy for the well-to-do to point their fingers in blame, for the well-fixed to pour scorn on the strugglers.
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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 Crooks reside safely in high-security houses, insolent blasphemers live in luxury; they've bought and paid for a god who'll protect them.
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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 what they think - let them teach you; let the birds tell you what's going on.
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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 Put your ear to the earth - learn the basics. Listen - the fish in the ocean will tell you their stories.
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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 Isn't it clear that they all know and agree that God is sovereign, that he holds all things in his hand -
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Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?
10 Every living soul, yes, every breathing creature?
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In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
11 Isn't this all just common sense, as common as the sense of taste?
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Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?
12 Do you think the elderly have a corner on wisdom, that you have to grow old before you understand life?
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With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
13 "True wisdom and real power belong to God; from him we learn how to live, and also what to live for.
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With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.
14 If he tears something down, it's down for good; if he locks people up, they're locked up for good.
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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 If he holds back the rain, there's a drought; if he lets it loose, there's a flood.
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Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
16 Strength and success belong to God; both deceived and deceiver must answer to him.
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With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He strips experts of their vaunted credentials, exposes judges as witless fools.
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He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.
18 He divests kings of their royal garments, then ties a rag around their waists.
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He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.
19 He strips priests of their robes, and fires high officials from their jobs.
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He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.
20 He forces trusted sages to keep silence, deprives elders of their good sense and wisdom.
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He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.
21 He dumps contempt on famous people, disarms the strong and mighty.
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He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.
22 He shines a spotlight into caves of darkness, hauls deepest darkness into the noonday sun.
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He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
23 He makes nations rise and then fall, builds up some and abandons others.
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He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
24 He robs world leaders of their reason, and sends them off into no man's land.
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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 the dark without a clue, lurching and staggering like drunks.
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They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The King James Version is in the public domain.