1 AND Job answered and said,
2 No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
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.
5 He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.
6 The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.
7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
9 Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?
10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
11 Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?
12 With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
13 With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.
14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
16 With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leadeth counsellers away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.
18 He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.
19 He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.
20 He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.
21 He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.
22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
23 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
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.
25 They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.

1 And Iob answered, and sayd,

2No doubt but ye are the people, and wisedome shall die with you.

3But I haue vnderstanding as well as you, I am not inferiour to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

4I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth vpon God, and he answereth him: the iust vpright man is laughed to scorne.

5He that is ready to slippe with his feet, is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

6The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that prouoke God are secure, into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

7But aske now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the foules of the aire, and they shall tell thee.

8Or speake to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare vnto thee.

9Who knoweth not in all these, that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?

10In whose hand is the soule of euery liuing thing, and the breath of all mankinde.

11Doeth not the eare trie wordes? and the mouth taste his meate?

12With the ancient is wisedome, and in length of dayes, vnderstanding.

13With him is wisedome & strength, he hath counsell and vnderstanding.

14Behold, he breaketh downe, and it cannot be built againe: hee shutteth vp a man, and there can be no opening.

15Behold, hee withholdeth the waters, and they drie vp: also hee sendeth them out, and they ouerturne the earth.

16With him is strength & wisedome: the deceiued, and the deceiuer, are his.

17He leadeth counsellers away spoiled, and maketh the Iudges fooles.

18He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loines with a girdle.

19He leadeth Princes away spoiled, and ouerthroweth the mightie.

20He remooueth away the speech of the trustie, and taketh away the vnderstanding of the aged.

21He powreth contempt vpon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mightie.

22Hee discouereth deepe things out of darkenesse, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

23He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: hee inlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them againe.

24He taketh away the heart of the chiefe of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wildernes where there is no way.

25They grope in the darke without light, and hee maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.

III == JOb 13:2

 

 

IV == Job 16:10 ; 17:2 , 6 ; 21:3 ; 30:1 ; Ps 91:15

 

V == Prov 14:2

VI == JOb 21:7 ; Ps 37:1 , 35 ; 73:11-12 ; 92:7 ; Jer 12:1 ; Mal 3:15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X == Num 16:22 ; Dan 5:23 ; Acts 17:28

XI == JOb 6:30 ; 34:3

XII == Job 32:7

XIII == Job 9:4 ; 36:5

XIV == Isa 22:22 ; Rev 3:7

 

XV == Gen 7:11 ;

 

 

 

XVII == 1st Cor 1:19

 

 

 

XX == Job 32:9 ; Isa 3:1-3

 

XXI == Ps 107:40 ; Dan 2:21

XXII == Dan 2:22 ; Matt 10:26 ; 1st Cor 4:5

XXIII == Ps 107:38 ; Isa 9:3 ; 26:15

XXIV == Ps 107:4 , 40

XXV == Deut 28:29 ; Job 5:14 ; Ps 107:27

 

 

1Then Job replied and said:

2 No doubt you are the intelligent folk, and with you wisdom shall die!

3 But I have intelligence as well as you; for who does not know such things as these?

4 I have become the sport of my neighbors: "The one whom God answers when he calls upon him, The just, the perfect man," is a laughing-stock;

5 The undisturbed esteem my downfall a disgrace such as awaits unsteady feet;

6 Yet the tents of robbers are prosperous, and those who provoke God are secure.

7 But now ask the beasts to teach you, and the birds of the air to tell you;

8 Or the reptiles on earth to instruct you, and the fish of the sea to inform you.

9 Which of all these does not know that the hand of God has done this?

10 In his hand is the soul of every living thing, and the life breath of all mankind.

11 Does not the ear judge words as the mouth tastes food?

12 So with old age is wisdom, and with length of days understanding.

13 With him are wisdom and might; his are counsel and understanding.

14 If he breaks a thing down, there is no rebuilding; if he imprisons a man, there is no release.

15 He holds back the waters and there is drought; he sends them forth and they overwhelm the land.

16 With him are strength and prudence; the misled and the misleaders are his.

17 He sends counselors away barefoot, and of judges he makes fools.

18 He loosens the bonds imposed by kings and leaves but a waistcloth to bind the king's own loins.

19 and lets their never-failing waters flow away.

20 He silences the trusted adviser, and takes discretion from the aged.

21 He breaks down the barriers of the streams

22 The recesses of the darkness he discloses, and brings the gloom forth to the light.

23 He makes nations great and he destroys them; he spreads peoples abroad and he abandons them.

24 He takes understanding from the leaders of the land,

25 till they grope in the darkness without light; he makes them stagger like drunken men.

v 1-3. Job rebuts and repudiates his friends with their own sarcasm. They called him a stupid donkey, but he said they thought they were so smart that if they died, the wisdom in the world would die with them. There comments about God was common knowledge, and he was not inferior to them.

v 4-6. God had previously answered Job’s prayers, but now allows him, who is upright, to be a laughingstock. These friends condemned Job, but they ignored that robbers and idol worshipers were prospering. (Though they may for a time.)

v 7-12. Zophar had made a snide comment about a man born to a donkey, but Job points out that the animals, birds, other forms of life and fish know that problems come from the hand of God, not necessarily sin. They were dependent upon God for their food and life. The tongue tastes food, and their ear should have discriminated wisdom, if as Bildad said, it comes with age, 8:8-10.

 

 

 

 

 

v 13-16. Only in God is true wisdom, strength, counsel and understanding. He controls nature and can build up or tear down the purposes of man.

 

 

 

 

v 17-21. God humbles counselors, which might include his three friends, judges, kings, priests, advisors, elders, princes and others held in esteem. 

 

 

 

 

v 22-25. God can bring to light things difficult to understand, but he can also take away understanding, and He is sovereign over nations. Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 4:37.