New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Then Job answered:
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And Job made answer and said,
2 "No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you.
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No doubt you have knowledge, and wisdom will come to an end with you.
3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?
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But I have a mind as well as you; I am equal to you: yes, who has not knowledge of such things as these?
4 I am a laughingstock to my friends; I, who called upon God and he answered me, a just and blameless man, I am a laughingstock.
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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!
5 Those at ease have contempt for misfortune, but it is ready for those whose feet are unstable.
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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.
6 The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who provoke God are secure, who bring their god in their hands.
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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.
7 "But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
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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;
8 ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
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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.
9 Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?
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Who does not see by all these that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being.
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In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all flesh of man.
11 Does not the ear test words as the palate tastes food?
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Are not words tested by the ear, even as food is tasted by the mouth?
12 Is wisdom with the aged, and understanding in length of days?
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Old men have wisdom, and a long life gives knowledge.
13 "With God are wisdom and strength; he has counsel and understanding.
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With him there is wisdom and strength; power and knowledge are his.
14 If he tears down, no one can rebuild; if he shuts someone in, no one can open up.
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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.
15 If he withholds the waters, they dry up; if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
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Truly, he keeps back the waters and they are dry; he sends them out and the earth is overturned.
16 With him are strength and wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are his.
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With him are strength and wise designs; he who is guided into error, together with his guide, are in his hands;
17 He leads counselors away stripped, and makes fools of judges.
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He takes away the wisdom of the wise guides, and makes judges foolish;
18 He looses the sash of kings, and binds a waistcloth on their loins.
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He undoes the chains of kings, and puts his band on them;
19 He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.
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He makes priests prisoners, overturning those in safe positions;
20 He deprives of speech those who are trusted, and takes away the discernment of the elders.
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He makes the words of responsible persons without effect, and takes away the good sense of the old;
21 He pours contempt on princes, and looses the belt of the strong.
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He puts shame on chiefs, and takes away the power of the strong;
22 He uncovers the deeps out of darkness, and brings deep darkness to light.
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Uncovering deep things out of the dark, and making the deep shade bright;
23 He makes nations great, then destroys them; he enlarges nations, then leads them away.
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Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.
24 He strips understanding from the leaders of the earth, and makes them wander in a pathless waste.
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He takes away the wisdom of the rulers of the earth, and sends them wandering in a waste where there is no way.
25 They grope in the dark without light; he makes them stagger like a drunkard.
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They go feeling about in the dark without light, wandering without help like those overcome with wine.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.