New Century Version NCV
The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
1 Then Job answered:
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Iyov responded:
2 "You really think you are the only wise people and that when you die, wisdom will die with you!
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"No doubt you are [the only] people [that matter]; and when you die, so will wisdom.
3 But my mind is as good as yours; you are not better than I am. Everyone knows all these things.
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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?
4 My friends all laugh at me when I call on God and expect him to answer me; they laugh at me even though I am right and innocent!
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"Anyone who calls on God, and he answers him, becomes a laughingstock to his friends -they make fun of an innocent, blameless man.
5 Those who are comfortable don't care that others have trouble; they think it right that those people should have troubles.
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Those at ease have contempt for misfortune, for the blow that strikes somebody already staggering.
6 The tents of robbers are not bothered, and those who make God angry are safe. They have their god in their pocket.
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The tents of robbers prosper, [the homes of] those who anger God are secure, those who carry their gods in their hands.
7 "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
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"But ask the animals - they will teach you -and the birds in the air - they will tell you;
8 Speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea tell you.
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or speak to the earth - it will teach you -and the fish in the sea will inform you:
9 Every one of these knows that the hand of the Lord has done this.
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every one of them knows that the hand of ADONAI has done this!
10 The life of every creature and the breath of all people are in God's hand.
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In his hand is the life of every living thing and the spirit of every human being.
11 The ear tests words as the tongue tastes food.
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Shouldn't the ear test words, just as the palate tastes food?
12 Older people are wise, and long life brings understanding.
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Is wisdom [only] with aged men? discernment [only] with long life?
13 "But only God has wisdom and power, good advice and understanding.
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"With God are wisdom and power; he has [good] counsel and understanding.
14 What he tears down cannot be rebuilt; anyone he puts in prison cannot be let out.
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When he breaks something down, it can't be rebuilt; when he imprisons someone, he can't be released.
15 If God holds back the waters, there is no rain; if he lets the waters go, they flood the land.
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When he holds back water, there is drought; when he sends it out, it overruns the land.
16 He is strong and victorious; both the one who fools others and the one who is fooled belong to him.
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With him are strength and common sense; both the misled and those who mislead are his.
17 God leads the wise away as captives and turns judges into fools.
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He leads counselors away captive, he makes fools of judges.
18 He takes off chains that kings put on and puts a garment on their bodies.
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He removes authority from kings, then binds them up [as prisoners].
19 He leads priests away naked and destroys the powerful.
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He leads cohanim away captive and overthrows those long in power.
20 He makes trusted people be silent and takes away the wisdom of older leaders.
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Those who are trusted he deprives of speech, and he removes the discernment of the aged.
21 He brings disgrace on important people and takes away the weapons of the strong.
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He pours contempt on princes and loosens the belt of the strong.
22 He uncovers the deep things of darkness and brings dark shadows into the light.
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He discloses the deepest recesses of darkness and brings light into shadows dark as death.
23 He makes nations great and then destroys them; he makes nations large and then scatters them.
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He makes nations great and destroys them; he enlarges nations, then leads them away.
24 He takes understanding away from the leaders of the earth and makes them wander through a pathless desert.
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He removes understanding from a country's leaders and makes them wander in trackless deserts.
25 They feel around in darkness with no light; he makes them stumble like drunks.
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They grope in unlit darkness; he makes them stagger like drunks.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.