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?"
3 “But I have intelligence and understanding as well as you;I am not inferior to you.Who does not know such things as these [of God’s wisdom and might]?
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.
4 “I am a joke to my friends;I, one whom God answered when he called upon Him—A just and blameless man is a joke [and laughed to scorn].
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.
5 “He who is at ease has contempt for misfortune,But misfortune is ready [and anxiously waiting] for those whose feet slip.
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.
6 “The tents of the destroyers prosper;And those who provoke God are [apparently] secure,Whom God brings into their power.
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.
7 “Now ask the animals, and let them teach you [that God does not deal with His creatures according to their character];And ask the birds of the air, and let them tell 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 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.
8 Or speak to the earth [with its many forms of life], and it will teach you;And let the fish of the sea declare [this truth] to you.
9 Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?
9 Who among all of these doesn't know that the LORD's hand made them,
9 “Who among all these does not recognize [in all these things that good and evil are randomly scattered throughout nature and human life]That the hand of the Lord has done this,
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."
11 “Does the ear not put words to the test,Just as the palate tastes its food [distinguishing between the desirable and the undesirable]?
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 When he tears down, nobody rebuilds; when he incarcerates, nobody escapes.
14 “Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
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.
15 “Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up;Again, He sends the waters out, and they overwhelm and devastate the earth.
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.
16 “With Him are might and sound wisdom,The misled and the misleader are His [and in His power].
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.
20 “He deprives the trusted ones of speechAnd takes away the discernment and discretion of the aged.
22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
22 He uncovers the hidden dimensions from darkness, bringing what is in deep shadow to light.
22 “He uncovers mysteries [that are difficult to grasp and understand] out of the darknessAnd brings black gloom and the shadow of death into light.
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, and then destroys them; he enlarges nations, but then sends them away to captivity.
23 “He makes nations great, and He destroys them;He enlarges nations, and leads them away [captive].
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 withdraws understanding from national leaders of the world, causing them to wander through uncharted wilderness.
24 “He removes intelligence and understanding from the leaders of the people of the earthAnd makes them wander and move blindly in a pathless waste.
Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.
International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.
King James Version Public Domain
New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org