| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 1And Job answered and said, | 1Then Job replied: |
| 2No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you. | 2"Doubtless you are the only people who matter, and wisdom will die with you! |
| 3But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these? | 3But I have a mind as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know all these things? |
| 4I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn. | 4"I have become a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God and he answered-- a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless! |
| 5He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease. | 5Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping. |
| 6The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly. | 6The tents of marauders are undisturbed, and those who provoke God are secure-- those God has in his hand. |
| 7But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: | 7"But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or 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 speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. |
| 9Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? | 9Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? |
| 10In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. | 10In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. |
| 11Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat? | 11Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes food? |
| 12With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding. | 12Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding? |
| 13With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding. | 13"To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his. |
| 14Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. | 14What he tears down cannot be rebuilt; those he imprisons cannot be released. |
| 15Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth. | 15If he holds back the waters, there is drought; if he lets them loose, they devastate the land. |
| 16With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his. | 16To him belong strength and insight; both deceived and deceiver are his. |
| 17He leadeth counsellers away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools. | 17He leads rulers away stripped and makes fools of judges. |
| 18He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle. | 18He takes off the shackles put on by kings and ties a loincloth around their waist. |
| 19He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty. | 19He leads priests away stripped and overthrows officials long established. |
| 20He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged. | 20He silences the lips of trusted advisers and takes away the discernment of elders. |
| 21He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty. | 21He pours contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty. |
| 22He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death. | 22He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light. |
| 23He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again. | 23He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses 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 deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason; he makes them wander in a trackless waste. |
| 25They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man. | 25They grope in darkness with no light; he makes them stagger like drunkards. |
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