| English Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1Then Job answered and said: | 1Then Job replied: |
| 2“No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you. | 2"Doubtless you are the only people who matter, and wisdom will die with you! |
| 3But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these? | 3But I have a mind as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know all these things? |
| 4I am a laughingstock to my friends; I, who called to God and he answered me, a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock. | 4"I have become a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God and he answered-- a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless! |
| 5In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; it is ready for those whose feet slip. | 5Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping. |
| 6The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who provoke God are secure, who bring their god in their hand. | 6The tents of marauders are undisturbed, and those who provoke God are secure-- those God has in his hand. |
| 7“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; | 7"But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; |
| 8or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. | 8or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. |
| 9Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? | 9Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? |
| 10In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. | 10In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. |
| 11Does not the ear test words as the palate tastes food? | 11Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes food? |
| 12Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days. | 12Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding? |
| 13“With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding. | 13"To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his. |
| 14If he tears down, none can rebuild; if he shuts a man in, none can open. | 14What he tears down cannot be rebuilt; those he imprisons cannot be released. |
| 15If he withholds the waters, they dry up; if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land. | 15If he holds back the waters, there is drought; if he lets them loose, they devastate the land. |
| 16With him are strength and sound wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are his. | 16To him belong strength and insight; both deceived and deceiver are his. |
| 17He leads counselors away stripped, and judges he makes fools. | 17He leads rulers away stripped and makes fools of judges. |
| 18He looses the bonds of kings and binds a waistcloth on their hips. | 18He takes off the shackles put on by kings and ties a loincloth around their waist. |
| 19He leads priests away stripped and overthrows the mighty. | 19He leads priests away stripped and overthrows officials long established. |
| 20He deprives of speech those who are trusted and takes away the discernment of the elders. | 20He silences the lips of trusted advisers and takes away the discernment of elders. |
| 21He pours contempt on princes and loosens the belt of the strong. | 21He pours contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty. |
| 22He uncovers the deeps out of darkness and brings deep darkness to light. | 22He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light. |
| 23He makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations, and leads them away. | 23He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them. |
| 24He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth and makes them wander in a trackless waste. | 24He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason; he makes them wander in a trackless waste. |
| 25They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them stagger like a drunken man. | 25They grope in darkness with no light; he makes them stagger like drunkards. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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