Job's Fourth Speech

1 Then Job answered and said,

1 Then Job (a)responded,

1 And Job answered and said,

1 Then Job answered:

1 In response Job replied:

2 "Truly indeed you [are the] people, and wisdom will die with you.

2 “Truly then (A)you are the people,And with you wisdom will die!

2 No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

2 No doubt you are the people,and wisdom will die with you!

2 "Truly, you are the people and wisdom will die with you!

3 {I also have insight} like you; I am not more inferior than you. And {who does not know things like these}?

3 “But (B)I have intelligence as well as you;I am not inferior to you.And (b)who does not know such things as these?

3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

3 But I also have a mind;I am not inferior to you.Who doesn’t know the things you are talking about?(a)(A)

3 Like you, I also have understanding. I'm not inferior to you; who doesn't know things like this?"

4 I am a laughingstock to my friends: '[He] calls on God, and he answers him.' A righteous, blameless man [is] a laughingstock.

4 “I am a (C)joke to (c)my friends,The one who called on God and He answered him;The just and (D)blameless man is a joke.

4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.

4 I am a laughingstock to my(b) friends,by calling on God, who answers me.(c)The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.(B)

4 "I'm a laughingstock to my friends, someone who called on God. But then he answered this upright and blameless man, and I have become a laughingstock.

5 {Those at ease have contempt} for [the] thought of {disaster}, [but it is] ready for those unstable of foot.

5 (d)He who is at ease holds calamity in contempt,As prepared for those whose feet slip.

5 He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

5 The one who is at ease(C) holds calamity in contemptand thinks it is prepared for those whose feet are slipping.

5 The carefree are thinking, "I have contempt for misfortune,' Those who are about to stumble deserve it.

6 [The] tents of [the] destroyers are at peace, and [there is] security for those who provoke God, [for those] whom God brings into his hand.

6 “The (E)tents of the destroyers prosper,And those who provoke God (F)are secure,(e)Whom God brings (G)into their power.

6 The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

6 The tents of robbers are safe,(D)and those who provoke God are secure;God’s power provides this.(d)(E)

6 The tents of robbers are at rest, and those who provoke God are secure, that is, those who carry their god in their pocket.

If You Want To Learn

7 "But ask [the] animals, and they will teach you, and the birds of the heaven, and they will tell you;

7 “But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you;And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you.

7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

7 But ask the animals, and they will instruct you;ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.(F)

7 "Ask the wild animals, and they'll teach you; the birds of the sky will tell you.

8 or ask the earth, and it will teach you, and the fishes of the sea will declare to you.

8 “Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you;And let the fish of the sea declare to you.

8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

8 Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct you;let the fish of the sea inform you.

8 Or ask the green plants of the earth and they'll teach you; let the fish in the sea tell you.

9 Who among all of these does not know that Yahweh's hand has done this?

9 “Who among all these does not knowThat (H)the hand of the Lord has done this,

9 Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?

9 Which of all these does not knowthat the hand of the Lord has done this?(G)

9 Who among all of these doesn't know that the LORD's hand made them,

10 In whose hand [is] the life of all living things and {the breath of every human being}?

10 (I)In whose hand is the life of every living thing,And (J)the breath of all mankind?

10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

10 The life of every living thing is in His hand,as well as the breath of all mankind.(H)

10 and that the life of every living thing rests in his control, along with the breath of every living human being?

11 Does not [the] ear test words and [the] palate taste food for itself?

11 “Does not (K)the ear test words,As the palate (f)tastes its food?

11 Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?

11 Doesn’t the ear test wordsas the palate tastes food?

11 The ear scrutinizes speech just as the palate tastes food."

Wisdom Comes From God

12 Wisdom [is] with [the] aged, and understanding [is in] length of days.

12 “Wisdom is with (L)aged men,With (g)long life is understanding.

12 With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.

12 Wisdom is found with the elderly,and understanding comes with long life.(I)

12 "Wisdom may be found in the company of the aged. Understanding comes with longevity.

13 "With him [are] wisdom and powerful deeds, and to him [belong] counsel and understanding.

13 “With Him are (M)wisdom and (N)might;To Him belong counsel and (O)understanding.

13 With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.

13 Wisdom and strength belong to God;counsel and understanding are His.(J)

13 With God is wisdom and strength; counsel and understanding belongs to him.

14 If he tears down, then it will not be rebuilt; if he shuts a man in, then he cannot be freed.

14 “Behold, He (P)tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;He (h)(Q)imprisons a man, and (i)there can be no release.

14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.

14 Whatever He tears down cannot be rebuilt;whoever He imprisons cannot be released.(K)

14 When he tears down, nobody rebuilds; when he incarcerates, nobody escapes.

15 Look, [if] he withholds the water, then they dry up; and [if] he sends them out, then they overwhelm [the] land.

15 “Behold, He (R)restrains the waters, and they dry up;And He (S)sends them out, and they (j)inundate the earth.

15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

15 When He withholds the waters, everything dries up,and when He releases them, they destroy the land.(L)

15 When he withholds water, rivers dry up; when he lets them loose, they'll flood the land.

16 "Strength and sound wisdom [are] with him; [the] deceived and [the] deceiver [are] his.

16 “With Him are strength and sound wisdom,The (T)misled and the misleader belong to Him.

16 With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.

16 True wisdom and power belong to Him.The deceived and the deceiver are His.

16 "With God are strength and sound wisdom; both the deceived and those who deceive are responsible to him.

17 He leads counselors away stripped, and he makes fools of judges.

17 “He makes (U)counselors walk (k)barefootAnd makes fools of (V)judges.

17 He leadeth counsellers away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.

17 He leads counselors away barefootand makes judges go mad.(M)

17 He leads counselors away naked; he turns judges into fools.

18 He loosens [the] fetters of kings, and he binds a loincloth on their loins.

18 “He (W)loosens the (l)bond of kingsAnd binds their loins with a girdle.

18 He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.

18 He releases the bonds(e) put on by kings(N)and fastens a belt around their waists.

18 He strips away the authority of kings to punish and puts them in prison clothes instead.

19 He leads priests away stripped, and he overthrows {the members of ancient families}.

19 “He makes priests walk (m)barefootAnd overthrows (X)the secure ones.

19 He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.

19 He leads priests away barefootand overthrows established leaders.(O)

19 He leads away the priests naked and overthrows the ruling class.

20 He deprives [the] trustworthy of speech, and he takes away [the] discretion of elders.

20 “He deprives the trusted ones of speechAnd (Y)takes away the discernment of the elders.

20 He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.

20 He deprives trusted advisers of speechand takes away the elders’ good judgment.

20 He keeps reliable advisors from speaking, and removes discernment from elders.

21 He pours contempt on noblemen, and he loosens [the] girdle of [the] mighty.

21 “He (Z)pours contempt on noblesAnd (AA)loosens the belt of the strong.

21 He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

21 He pours out contempt on noblesand disarms(f) the strong.

21 He pours contempt on nobles and embarrasses the mighty.

22 "He uncovers mysteries out of darkness, and he brings deep shadow to the light.

22 “He (AB)reveals mysteries from the darknessAnd brings the deep darkness into light.

22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

22 He reveals mysteries from the darknessand brings the deepest darkness into the light.(P)

22 He uncovers the hidden dimensions from darkness, bringing what is in deep shadow to light.

23 He makes the nations great, then he destroys them; he expands the nations, then he guides them.

23 “He (AC)makes the nations great, then destroys them;He (n)enlarges the nations, then leads them away.

23 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.

23 He makes nations great, then destroys them;He enlarges nations,(Q) then leads them away.

23 He makes nations great, and then destroys them; he enlarges nations, but then sends them away to captivity.

24 He strips [away] the insight of the heads of the earth's people, and he makes them wander in {a pathless wasteland}.

24 “He (AD)deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the earth’s peopleAnd makes them wander in a pathless waste.

24 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.

24 He deprives the world’s leaders of reason,and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.(R)

24 He withdraws understanding from national leaders of the world, causing them to wander through uncharted wilderness.

25 They grope [in] the dark {without} light, and he makes them stagger like a drunkard.

25 “They (AE)grope in darkness with no light,And He makes them (AF)stagger like a drunken man.

25 They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.

25 They grope around in darkness without light;He makes them stagger like drunken men.(S) >

25 They grope in the dark without light; he causes them to stagger around like a drunkard."

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