Job's Fourth Speech

1 And Job made answer and said,

1 And Job answered and said,

1 Then Job (a)responded,

1 Then Job answered:

1 In response Job replied:

2 No doubt you have knowledge, and wisdom will come to an end with you.

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

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

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 But I have a mind as well as you; I am equal to you: yes, who has not knowledge of 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 (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 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 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!

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 (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 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 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.

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

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 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.

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

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 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 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;

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

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 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 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.

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 let it teach you;And let the fish of the sea declare to you.

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 does not see by all these that 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 “Who among all these does not knowThat (H)the hand of the Lord has done 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 soul of every living thing, and the breath of all flesh of man.

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

10 (I)In whose hand is the life of every living thing,And (J)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 Are not words tested by the ear, even as food is tasted by the mouth?

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

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

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 Old men have wisdom, and a long life gives knowledge.

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

12 “Wisdom is with (L)aged men,With (g)long life is 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 there is wisdom and strength; power and knowledge are his.

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

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

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

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 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 Truly, he keeps back the waters and they are dry; he sends them out and the earth is overturned.

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

15 “Behold, He (R)restrains the waters, and they dry up;And He (S)sends them out, and they (j)inundate 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 With him are strength and wise designs; he who is guided into error, together with his guide, are in his hands;

16 With him is strength and wisdom: 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 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 takes away the wisdom of the wise guides, and makes judges foolish;

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

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

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

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

18 He undoes the chains of kings, and puts his band on them;

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

18 “He (W)loosens the (l)bond of kingsAnd binds 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 makes priests prisoners, overturning those in safe positions;

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

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

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

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

20 He makes the words of responsible persons without effect, and takes away the good sense of the old;

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

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

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 puts shame on chiefs, and takes away the power of the strong;

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

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

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

21 He pours contempt on nobles and embarrasses the mighty.

22 Uncovering deep things out of the dark, and making the deep shade bright;

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

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

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 Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.

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

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

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 takes away the wisdom of the rulers of the earth, and sends them wandering in a waste where there is no way.

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

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 go feeling about in the dark without light, wandering without help like those overcome with wine.

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

25 “They (AE)grope in darkness with no light,And He makes them (AF)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."

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain

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