| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then Job answered and said: | 1Then Job answered: |
| 2“No doubt you are the people, And wisdom will die with you! | 2No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you! |
| 3But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Indeed, who does not know such things as these? | 3But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who doesn't know the things you are talking about? |
| 4“I am one mocked by his friends, Who called on God, and He answered him, The just and blameless who is ridiculed. | 4I am a laughingstock to my friends, by calling on God, who answers me. The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock. |
| 5A lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease; It is made ready for those whose feet slip. | 5The one who is at ease holds calamity in contempt and thinks it is prepared for those whose feet are slipping. |
| 6The tents of robbers prosper, And those who provoke God are secure— In what God provides by His hand. | 6The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure; God's power provides this. |
| 7“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you; | 7But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. |
| 8Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; And the fish of the sea will explain to you. | 8Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct you; let the fish of 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 whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind? | 10The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind. |
| 11Does not the ear test words And the mouth taste its food? | 11Doesn't the ear test words as the palate tastes food? |
| 12Wisdom is with aged men, And with length of days, understanding. | 12Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life. |
| 13“With Him are wisdom and strength, He has counsel and understanding. | 13Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His. |
| 14If He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt; If He imprisons a man, there can be no release. | 14Whatever He tears down cannot be rebuilt; whoever He imprisons cannot be released. |
| 15If He withholds the waters, they dry up; If He sends them out, they overwhelm the earth. | 15When He withholds the waters, everything dries up, and when He releases them, they destroy the land. |
| 16With Him are strength and prudence. The deceived and the deceiver are His. | 16True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His. |
| 17He leads counselors away plundered, And makes fools of the judges. | 17He leads counselors away barefoot and makes judges go mad. |
| 18He loosens the bonds of kings, And binds their waist with a belt. | 18He releases the bonds put on by kings and fastens a belt around their waists. |
| 19He leads princes away plundered, And overthrows the mighty. | 19He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows established leaders. |
| 20He deprives the trusted ones of speech, And takes away the discernment of the elders. | 20He deprives trusted advisers of speech and takes away the elders' good judgment. |
| 21He pours contempt on princes, And disarms the mighty. | 21He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the strong. |
| 22He uncovers deep things out of darkness, And brings the shadow of death to light. | 22He reveals mysteries from the darkness and brings the deepest darkness into the light. |
| 23He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them. | 23He makes nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges nations, then leads them away. |
| 24He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, And makes them wander in a pathless wilderness. | 24He deprives the world's leaders of reason, and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland. |
| 25They grope in the dark without light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man. | 25They grope around in darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunken men. |
|
