Job's Fourth Speech

1 Then Job answered:

1 Then Job (a)responded,

1 And Job answered and said,

1 Then Job answered:

1 In response Job replied:

2 "Without a doubt 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 understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know 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 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, I, who called on God and whom he answered -- a righteous and 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 For calamity, there is derision (according to the ideas of the fortunate) -- a fate for those whose feet slip!

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 But the tents of robbers are peaceful, and those who provoke God are confident -- who carry their god in their hands.

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 now, ask the animals and they will teach you, or the birds of the sky 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 speak to the earth and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea 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 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord 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 every creature and the breath of all the human race.

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, as the tongue tastes food?

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 Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?

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 God are wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.

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, it cannot be rebuilt; if he imprisons a person, there is no escape.

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 If he holds back the waters, then they dry up; if he releases them, they destroy 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 With him are strength and prudence; both the one who goes astray and the one who misleads 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 makes judges into fools.

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 bonds of kings and binds a loincloth around their waist.

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 overthrows the potentates.

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 trusted advisers of speech and takes away the discernment 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 disarms the powerful.

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 reveals the deep things of darkness, and brings deep shadows into 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 nations great, and destroys them; he extends the boundaries of nations and disperses 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 deprives the leaders of the earth of their understanding; he makes them wander in a trackless desert waste.

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 about in darkness without light; he makes them stagger like drunkards.

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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