Summary
- Learn from the animals, birds and fish vs 7-9
- To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his vs 13;
- Do not mess around with God
Job 12:1,3-12,14-25
1 Yes, you are the voice of the people. When you die, wisdom will die with you.
[3]But I have as much sense as you have; I am in no way inferior to you; everyone knows all that you have said.
[4]Even my friends laugh at me now; they laugh, although I am righteous and blameless; but there was a time when God answered my prayers.
[5]You have no troubles, and yet you make fun of me; you hit someone who is about to fall.
[6]But thieves and godless people live in peace, though their only god is their own strength.
[7]Even birds and animals have much they could teach you;
[8]ask the creatures of earth and sea for their wisdom.
[9]All of them know that the Lord’s hand made them.
[10]It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone’s life is in his power.
[11]But just as your tongue enjoys tasting food, your ears enjoy hearing words.
12 Old people have wisdom, but God has wisdom and power. Old people have insight; God has insight and power to act.
[14]When God tears down, who can rebuild, and who can free those God imprisons?
[15]Drought comes when God withholds rain; floods come when he turns water loose.
[16]God is strong and always victorious; both deceived and deceiver are in his power.
[17]He takes away the wisdom of rulers and makes leaders act like fools.
[18]He dethrones kings and makes them prisoners;
[19]he humbles priests and men of power.
[20]He silences those who are trusted, and takes the wisdom of old people away.
[21]He disgraces those in power and puts an end to the strength of rulers.
[22]He sends light to places dark as death.
[23]He makes nations strong and great, but then he defeats and destroys them.
[24]He makes their leaders foolish and lets them wander confused and lost;
[25]they grope in the dark and stagger like drunkards.