Job 12:13-25

New Century Version

¹³ “But only God has wisdom and power,
    good advice and understanding.
¹⁴ What he tears down cannot be rebuilt;
    anyone he puts in prison cannot be let out.
¹⁵ If God holds back the waters, there is no rain;
    if he lets the waters go, they flood the land.
¹⁶ He is strong and victorious;
    both the one who fools others and the one who is fooled belong to him.
¹⁷ God leads the wise away as captives
    and turns judges into fools.
¹⁸ He takes off chains that kings put on
    and puts a garment on their bodies.
¹⁹ He leads priests away naked
    and destroys the powerful.
²⁰ He makes trusted people be silent
    and takes away the wisdom of elders.
²¹ He brings disgrace on important people
    and takes away the weapons of the strong.
²² He uncovers the deep things of darkness
    and brings dark shadows into the light.
²³ He makes nations great and then destroys them;
    he makes nations large and then scatters them.
²⁴ He takes understanding away from the leaders of the earth
    and makes them wander through a pathless desert.
²⁵ They feel around in darkness with no light;
    he makes them stumble like drunks.