Job 12
What Happens in This Chapter
Job answers his three friends after their speeches. He tells them he is not less wise than they are, and says that people who are comfortable look down on people in trouble. Then Job points to the animals, birds, earth, and fish as teachers, and gives a long list of things God does: God gives wisdom and strength, and God can also take power, speech, and good sense away from kings, judges, priests, and whole nations.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
And Job answered and said,
1Then Job answered his friends.
2No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
2You act like you are the only wise people alive. You seem to think wisdom will die when you die.
Job is not really praising his friends here. He is saying the opposite of what he means, the way we do when we say "nice job" after someone spills a drink.
3But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
3But I can think too. I am not less than you. Everyone knows things like this.
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. I called to God, and God answered me. Now a good, honest man is something people laugh at.
5He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.
5People who are comfortable make fun of trouble. They look down on anyone whose feet are already slipping.
6The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.
6Robbers live in their tents and stay safe. People who make God angry live without any worry. Their hands are full of good things.
7But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
7Go 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 talk to the earth, and it will teach you. The fish in the sea will tell you too.
9Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?
9Every one of them knows this. The LORD's own hand did all of it.
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 too.
11Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?
11The ear tests words, doesn't it? The mouth tastes its food the same way.
The KJV says "meat." In 1611 that word meant food of any kind, not just meat from animals.
12With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
12Older people have wisdom. A long life brings understanding.
13With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.
13God has wisdom and strength. He has good advice and understanding.
14Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
14When God tears something down, no one can build it again. When he shuts a man in, no one can let him out.
15Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
15If God holds the waters back, 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 God. The person who is fooled and the person who fools him both belong to him.
17He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.
17He leads wise advisers away with nothing left. He makes judges look foolish.
18He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.
18He unties the ropes that kings use to hold people. Then he ties a plain belt around the kings themselves.
19He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.
19He leads priests away with nothing left. Priests were the men who served God at his altar. He brings down people who look too strong to fall.
The KJV says "princes" here, but the word in the original language means priests, the men who served God at his altar.
20He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.
20He takes the words away from people everyone trusts. He takes the good sense away from old people.
21He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.
21He pours shame on rulers. He makes strong men weak.
22He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
22He shows what is hidden deep in the dark. He brings deep shadows out into the light.
23He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
23He makes nations big, and then he destroys them. He spreads nations out, and then he scatters them.
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 the good sense away from the leaders of the earth. He makes them wander in an empty land with no roads.
25They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
25They feel around in the dark with no light. He makes them stumble like a man who has had too much to drink.
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