New International Version NIV
Young's Literal Translation YLT
1 Then Job replied:
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And Job answereth and saith: --
2 “Doubtless you are the only people who matter, and wisdom will die with you!
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Truly -- ye [are] the people, And with you doth wisdom die.
3 But I have a mind as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know all these things?
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I also have a heart like you, I am not fallen more than you, And with whom is there not like these?
4 “I have become a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God and he answered— a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!
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A laughter to his friend I am: `He calleth to God, and He answereth him,' A laughter [is] the perfect righteous one.
5 Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
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A torch -- despised in the thoughts of the secure Is prepared for those sliding with the feet.
6 The tents of marauders are undisturbed, and those who provoke God are secure— those God has in his hand.
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At peace are the tents of spoilers, And those provoking God have confidence, He into whose hand God hath brought.
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
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And yet, ask, I pray thee, [One of] the beasts, and it doth shew thee, And a fowl of the heavens, And it doth declare to thee.
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you.
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Or talk to the earth, and it sheweth thee, And fishes of the sea recount to thee:
9 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?
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`Who hath not known in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.
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In whose hand [is] the breath of every living thing, And the spirit of all flesh of man.'
11 Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes food?
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Doth not the ear try words? And the palate taste food for itself?
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?
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With the very aged [is] wisdom, And [with] length of days understanding.
13 “To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.
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With Him [are] wisdom and might, To him [are] counsel and understanding.
14 What he tears down cannot be rebuilt; those he imprisons cannot be released.
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Lo, He breaketh down, and it is not built up, He shutteth against a man, And it is not opened.
15 If he holds back the waters, there is drought; if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.
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Lo, He keepeth in the waters, and they are dried up, And he sendeth them forth, And they overturn the land.
16 To him belong strength and insight; both deceived and deceiver are his.
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With Him [are] strength and wisdom, His the deceived and deceiver.
17 He leads rulers away stripped and makes fools of judges.
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Causing counsellors to go away a spoil, And judges He maketh foolish.
18 He takes off the shackles put on by kings and ties a loincloth around their waist.
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The bands of kings He hath opened, And He bindeth a girdle on their loins.
19 He leads priests away stripped and overthrows officials long established.
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Causing ministers to go away a spoil And strong ones He overthroweth.
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers and takes away the discernment of elders.
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Turning aside the lip of the stedfast, And the reason of the aged He taketh away.
21 He pours contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.
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Pouring contempt upon princes, And the girdle of the mighty He made feeble.
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light.
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Removing deep things out of darkness, And He bringeth out to light death-shade.
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them.
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Magnifying the nations, and He destroyeth them, Spreading out the nations, and He quieteth them.
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason; he makes them wander in a trackless waste.
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Turning aside the heart Of the heads of the people of the land, And he causeth them to wander In vacancy -- no way!
25 They grope in darkness with no light; he makes them stagger like drunkards.
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They feel darkness, and not light, He causeth them to wander as a drunkard.
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Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.