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Job 12
New International Version
Job 12
New International Version
Job
12 Then Job replied:
2 “Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
and wisdom will die with you!(A)
3 But I have a mind as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know all these things?(B)
4 “I have become a laughingstock(C) to my friends,(D)
though I called on God and he answered(E)—
a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!(F)
5 Those who are at ease have contempt(G) for misfortune
as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.(H)
6 The tents of marauders are undisturbed,(I)
and those who provoke God are secure(J)—
those God has in his hand.[a]
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,(K)
or the birds in the sky,(L) and they will tell you;(M)
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know(N)
that the hand of the Lord has done this?(O)
10 In his hand is the life(P) of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.(Q)
11 Does not the ear test words
as the tongue tastes food?(R)
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged?(S)
Does not long life bring understanding?(T)
13 “To God belong wisdom(U) and power;(V)
counsel and understanding are his.(W)
14 What he tears down(X) cannot be rebuilt;(Y)
those he imprisons cannot be released.(Z)
15 If he holds back the waters,(AA) there is drought;(AB)
if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.(AC)
16 To him belong strength and insight;(AD)
both deceived and deceiver are his.(AE)
17 He leads rulers away stripped(AF)
and makes fools of judges.(AG)
18 He takes off the shackles(AH) put on by kings
and ties a loincloth[b] around their waist.(AI)
19 He leads priests away stripped(AJ)
and overthrows officials long established.(AK)
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers
and takes away the discernment of elders.(AL)
21 He pours contempt on nobles(AM)
and disarms the mighty.(AN)
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness(AO)
and brings utter darkness(AP) into the light.(AQ)
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;(AR)
he enlarges nations,(AS) and disperses them.(AT)
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;(AU)
he makes them wander in a trackless waste.(AV)
25 They grope in darkness with no light;(AW)
he makes them stagger like drunkards.(AX)
Job 12
EasyEnglish Bible
Job 12
EasyEnglish Bible
Job replies to Zophar[a]
12 Then Job replied. This is what he said:
2 ‘You people think that you know everything.
You think that there will be no wisdom after you die.
3 But I understand things as well as you.
You are no better than I am.
Everyone knows the things that you have been saying.
4 I am a person who prayed to God and he answered me.
But my friends now laugh at me.
I have always lived completely in the right way.
But still my friends laugh at me.
5 Some people never have any troubles.
They think that people who suffer are fools.
If people are in trouble,
they knock them down!
6 But robbers seem to live in peace.
They cause God to be angry
but they think that they are safe.
They trust their own strength as their god.
7 Ask the animals and they will teach you.
The birds in the sky would tell you the truth.
8 Speak to the earth and it will teach you.
The fish in the sea would tell you what is right.
9 Any of them could tell you that the Lord has done this.
10 He has authority over the life of all the animals.
He gives breath to all people so that they can live.
11 We use our mouths to taste food.
And we use our ears to test what we hear.
12 Old people are often wise.
People who have lived for a long time understand things better.
13 God is wise and he is also powerful.
He understands things and he gives good advice.
14 If God destroys something,
nobody can repair it.
If God puts someone in prison,
that person cannot escape.
15 If God stops the rain, the land becomes dry.
If he sends lots of rain, there are floods.
16 God has strength and wisdom.
He has power over people who tell lies,
and the people that they deceive.
17 He causes clever people to become ashamed.
He causes leaders to do foolish things.
18 He takes authority away from kings.
He dresses them like slaves.
19 He causes priests to become ashamed.
He removes the power of important people.
20 He stops faithful men from giving advice.
He removes the wisdom of old men.
21 He causes rulers to be ashamed.
He destroys the power of strong men.
22 He shows people things that have been secrets.
He shines light into dark places.
23 He can make nations become great.
He can also destroy them.
He can make their land become bigger.
He can also send their people away to other places.
24 He stops the world's leaders from understanding things properly.
He sends them to travel through empty deserts.
25 They try to walk in the dark, without any light.
He causes them to walk like drunk men.
Footnotes
- 12:1 In chapters 12 to 14, Job speaks, first to Zophar and then to God. The things that Zophar has said do not help Job. Job knows everything that Zophar has told him. The wrong things that he has done have not caused his troubles. He knows that. Then Job speaks to God. He asks God to stop making him afraid. He asks God to stop all the bad things that are happening.
Job 12
New King James Version
Job 12
New King James Version
Job Answers His Critics
12 Then Job answered and said:
2 “No doubt you are the people,
And wisdom will die with you!
3 But I have [a]understanding as well as you;
I am not (A)inferior to you.
Indeed, who does not know such things as these?
4 “I(B) am one mocked by his friends,
Who (C)called on God, and He answered him,
The just and blameless who is ridiculed.
5 A [b]lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease;
It is made ready for (D)those whose feet slip.
6 (E)The tents of robbers prosper,
And those who provoke God are secure—
In what God provides by His hand.
7 “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
9 Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
10 (F)In whose hand is the [c]life of every living thing,
And the (G)breath of [d]all mankind?
11 Does not the ear test words
And the [e]mouth taste its food?
12 Wisdom is with aged men,
And with [f]length of days, understanding.
13 “With Him are (H)wisdom and strength,
He has counsel and understanding.
14 If (I)He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt;
If He imprisons a man, there can be no release.
15 If He (J)withholds the waters, they dry up;
If He (K)sends them out, they overwhelm the earth.
16 With Him are strength and prudence.
The deceived and the deceiver are His.
17 He leads counselors away plundered,
And makes fools of the judges.
18 He loosens the bonds of kings,
And binds their waist with a belt.
19 He leads [g]princes away plundered,
And overthrows the mighty.
20 (L)He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 (M)He pours contempt on princes,
And [h]disarms the mighty.
22 He (N)uncovers deep things out of darkness,
And brings the shadow of death to light.
23 (O)He makes nations great, and destroys them;
He [i]enlarges nations, and guides them.
24 He takes away the [j]understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth,
And (P)makes them wander in a pathless wilderness.
25 (Q)They grope in the dark without light,
And He makes them (R)stagger like a drunken man.
Job 12
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Job 12
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Job declara el poder de Dios
12 Entonces respondió Job:
2 «En verdad que ustedes son el pueblo,
Y con ustedes morirá la sabiduría(A).
3 -»Pero yo también tengo inteligencia como ustedes;
No soy inferior a ustedes(B).
¿Y quién no sabe esto[a]?
4 -»Soy motivo de burla para mis[b] amigos(C),
Yo, el que clamaba a Dios, y Él le respondía.
Motivo de burla es el justo e intachable(D).
5 -»El que está en holgura desprecia la calamidad[c],
Como cosa preparada para aquellos cuyos pies resbalan.
6 -»Las tiendas de los destructores prosperan(E),
Y los que provocan a Dios están seguros(F),
A quienes Dios ha dado el poder que tienen[d](G).
7 ¶»Ahora pregunta a los animales, y que ellos te instruyan,
Y a las aves de los cielos, y que ellas te informen.
8 -»O habla a la tierra, y que ella te instruya,
Y que los peces del mar te lo declaren.
9 -»¿Quién entre todos ellos[e] no sabe
Que la mano del Señor ha hecho esto(H),
10 Que en Su mano está la vida de todo ser viviente,
Y el aliento de todo ser humano(I)?
11 -»¿No distingue el oído las palabras
Como el paladar prueba[f] la comida(J)?
12 -»En los ancianos está la sabiduría,
Y en largura de días el entendimiento(K).
13 ¶»En[g] Él están la sabiduría y el poder(L),
Y el consejo y el entendimiento son Suyos(M).
14 -ȃl derriba, y no se puede reedificar(N);
Aprisiona a[h] un hombre(O), y no puede ser liberado[i].
15 -ȃl retiene las aguas, y todo se seca[j](P),
Y las envía, e inundan[k] la tierra(Q).
16 -»En[l] Él están la fuerza y la prudencia,
Suyos son el engañado y el engañador(R).
17 -ȃl hace que los consejeros(S) anden descalzos[m],
Y hace necios a los jueces(T).
18 -»Rompe las cadenas[n] de los reyes(U)
Y ata sus cinturas con cuerda.
19 -»Hace que los sacerdotes anden descalzos[o]
Y derriba a los que están seguros(V).
20 -»Priva del habla a los hombres de confianza
Y quita a los ancianos el discernimiento(W).
21 -»Vierte desprecio sobre los nobles(X)
Y afloja el cinto(Y) de los fuertes.
22 -ȃl revela los misterios de las tinieblas
Y saca a la luz la densa oscuridad(Z).
23 -»Engrandece las naciones(AA), y las destruye;
Ensancha las naciones, y las dispersa.
24 -»Priva(AB) de inteligencia a los jefes de la gente de la tierra
Y los hace vagar por un desierto sin camino;
25 Andan a tientas en tinieblas, sin luz(AC),
Y los hace tambalearse como borrachos(AD).
Footnotes
- 12:3 Lit. ¿Con quién no hay como estas.
- 12:4 Lit. sus.
- 12:5 Lit. El desprecio de la calamidad es el pensamiento del que está seguro.
- 12:6 Lit. el que lleva a Dios en su mano.
- 12:9 Lit. estos.
- 12:11 Lit. prueba por sí mismo.
- 12:13 Lit. Con.
- 12:14 Lit. cierra contra.
- 12:14 Lit. no se abre.
- 12:15 Lit. y se secan.
- 12:15 Lit. y trastornan.
- 12:16 Lit. Con.
- 12:17 O desnudos.
- 12:18 Lit. Desata la disciplina.
- 12:19 O desnudos.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
EasyEnglish Bible (EASY)
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Nueva Biblia de las Américas (NBLA) 
Nueva Biblia de las Américas™ NBLA™ Copyright © 2005 por The Lockman Foundation