Job

Job 12

1Job censureth the arrogant pretensions of his friends to superior knowledge: 6he sheweth that wicked men often prosper under the hand of God; 13he acknowledgeth the divine wisdom and omnipotency.

1AND Job answered and said,

2No doubt but ye are ^athe people, and wisdom shall die with you.

a ch. 11.12. Pr. 28.11. 1Co. 4.8,10.

3^bBut I have ¹understanding as well as you; ²I am not inferior to you: yea, ³who knoweth not such things as these?

b ch. 13.2. 2Co. 11.5,16; 12.11.

4I ^cam as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he ^danswereth him: the just upright man is ^elaughed to scorn.

c ch. 16.10,20; 17.6; 21.3; 30.1. He. 11.36. Ps. 55.12,13. d Je. 33.3. Ps. 91.15. Mi. 7.7. e Pr. 14.2. Mar. 5.40.

5He that is ^fready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised ^gin the thought of him that is at ease.

f De. 32.35. Ps. 38.16,17; 94.18. Je. 13.16. g Ps. 123.4. Lu. 12.19.

6^hThe ^*tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are ^*secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

h ch. 21.7. Ps. 17.10; 37.1,35; 73.3,12; 92.7. Je. 5.28; 12.1-3. Hab. 1.3,4. Zec. 11.5. Mal. 3.15.

7ⁱBut ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

i Pr. 6.6. Is. 1.3. Je. 8.7. Ps. 19.1,2. Ro. 1.20. Hab. 1.13,14.

8Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

9Who knoweth not in all these that ^jthe hand of the ^kLORD hath wrought ^lthis?

j He. 1.10,13. Ro. 11.36. Col. 1.16,17. Pr. 16.4. k ch. 1.21. l Is. 41.20.

10^mIn whose hand is the ⁴soul of every living thing, and the breath of ⁵all mankind.

m Nu. 16.22. Da. 5.23. Ac. 17.25,28. Mat. 10.29.

11ⁿDoth not the ear try words? and the ⁶mouth taste his ^*meat?

n ch. 34.3; 6.30. 1Co. 10.15. Ps. 94.9.

12^oWith the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.

o ch. 8.8; 32.6,7,9.

13^pWith ⁷him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.

p ch. 9.4; 36.5; 37.24. Ps. 147.5. Da. 2.20. Is. 40.12-29; 28.29. Pr. 8.14. Ja. 1.5.

14Behold, he ^qbreaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth ⁸up a man, and there can be no opening.

q ch. 9.12. v.10. Mal. 1.4. Je. 18.7. Is. 22.22. Ge. 20.18. Re. 3.7. Ps. 88.6,8.

15Behold, ^rhe withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also ^she sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

r Ge. 8.2; 7.11. Zec. 10.11. 1Ki. 17.1. Na. 1.4. 2Pe. 3.5,6. De. 11.17. s Am. 9.6.

16^tWith him is strength and wisdom: the ^udeceived and the deceiver are his.

t v.13. u Eze. 14.9. Is. 19.14. 2Th. 2.11. 1Ki. 22.22. Mat. 24.24. Re. 20.2,8.

17^vHe leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and ^wmaketh the judges fools.

v 2Sa. 15.31; 17.14,23. Is. 19.12,13. 1Co. 1.19,20; 3.19,20. ch. 5.13,14. w Ec. 7.7. Is. 44.25.

18He ^xlooseth the bond of kings, ^yand ^*girdeth their loins with a girdle.

x Ps. 2.3. Da. 2.21. y Ps. 66.11; 107.10. Lu. 17.8.

19He ^zleadeth princes away ^aspoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.

z 2Sa. 8; 10. Jos. 12. Is. 45.1. a Is. 20.4.

20 ^bHe removeth away ⁹the speech of the trusty, and ^ctaketh away the understanding of the aged.

b ch. 32.9. Is. 3.2-4. 2Sa. 15.31. Mat. 25.28,29. Zec. 11.17. c Ho. 4.11.

21^dHe poureth contempt upon princes, and ¹⁰weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

d Ps. 107.40. Ac. 12.23. Da. 2.21,22.

22He ^e*discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the ^fshadow of death.

e 2Ki. 6.10-12. Da. 2.22. Mat. 10.26. 1Co. 2.10,11; 4.5. Ec. 7.24. f ch. 34.22.

23He ^gincreaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and ¹¹straiteneth them again.

g De. 28.4,11. Ps. 107.38,39. Is. 26.15.

24He ^htaketh 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.

h Ro. 1.21. Ps. 107.4,40. Ge. 20.13. Is. 63.17. Jos. 2.9. 1Co. 1.19,20. Nu. 14.33. Da. 4.16,33.

25They ⁱgrope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to ¹²stagger like a drunken man.

i Ge. 19.11. Is. 59.10. 2Ki. 6.18. De. 28.29.