Job
Chapter 12
Job answers his three friends. He tells them their wisdom is nothing special, and he points out that robbers live in safety while an honest man like him is laughed at. He says even the animals, the birds, the earth and the fish know that God's hand does all of this. The rest of the chapter is a long list of what God does: he tears down, shuts in, floods and dries up, and strips judges, kings, priests and whole nations of their power and their good sense.
Plain reading written for preteens. Clear and complete, at about a fifth grade reading level.
And Job answered and said,
1Then Job answered:
2No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
2"No doubt you are the people who matter. When you die, wisdom will die with you.
3But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
3But I have a mind too. I am not less than you are. Who does not know things like these?
4I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.
4My friends laugh at me. Yet I called on God, and he answered me. Now a good and honest man is a joke to them.
5He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.
5A man who is comfortable has no patience with trouble. He sneers at anyone whose feet are already slipping.
6The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.
6The tents of robbers are safe. People who make God angry live without fear, and God fills their hands with plenty.
7But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
7But ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds in the sky, and they will tell you.
8Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
8Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you. The fish in the sea will explain it to you.
9Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?
9Every one of them knows that the LORD's own hand has done this.
10In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
10He holds the life of every living thing in his hand. He holds the breath of every person.
11Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?
11The ear tests words, doesn't it, the same way the mouth tastes food?
In 1611 English, "meat" meant food of any kind, not just animal flesh.
12With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
12Wisdom is found in people who have lived a long time. Understanding comes with many years.
13With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.
13Wisdom and strength belong to God. Good advice and understanding are his.
14Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
14When he tears something down, no one can build it again. When he shuts a man in, no one can open the door.
15Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
15If he holds back the waters, everything dries up. If he lets them go, they flood the land.
16With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.
16Strength and wisdom belong to him. Both the one who is fooled and the one who fools him belong to him.
17He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.
17He leads wise advisers away stripped bare. He turns judges into fools.
"Led away spoiled" means taken away as prisoners, stripped of clothing and belongings. The same picture is used again in verse 19.
18He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.
18He unties the power that kings hold over others, and ties a servant's belt around the kings themselves.
A belt or sash was a sign of rank and readiness for work. Loosening a king's belt means taking his power; tying a plain belt on him means putting him to work like a servant or captive.
19He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.
19He leads leaders away stripped bare. He brings down men who seemed too strong to fall.
20He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.
20He takes away the speech of men everyone trusts. He takes away the good sense of the old.
21He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.
21He pours shame on rulers. He takes the strength out of the mighty.
22He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
22He uncovers deep things that were hidden in the dark. He brings the deepest shadows out into the light.
23He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
23He makes nations great, then destroys them. He spreads them out wide, then scatters them again.
24He 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.
24He takes away the good sense of the world's leaders. He sends them wandering in empty land with no road.
25They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
25They feel their way in the dark with no light. He makes them stagger like drunk men.
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