Job's reply to Zophar

You think you are so great

1-2Job said to his friends:

You think you are so great,

with all the answers.

3But I know as much as you do,

and so does everyone else.

4I have always lived right,

and God answered my prayers;

now friends make fun of me.

5It's easy to condemn

those who are suffering,

when you have no troubles.

6Robbers and other godless people

live safely at home and say,

“God is in our hands!”12.6 God is in our hands: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

If you want to learn

7If you want to learn,

then go and ask

the wild animals and the birds,

8the flowers and the fish.

9Any of them can tell you

what the LORD has done.12.9 Any…done: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

10Every living creature

is in the hands of God.

11We hear with our ears,

taste with our tongues,

12and gain some wisdom from those

who have lived a long time.

13But God is the real source

of wisdom and strength.

14No one can rebuild

what he destroys, or release

those he has imprisoned.

15God can hold back the rain

or send a flood,

16just as he rules over liars

and those they lie to.

17God destroys counsellors,

turns judges into fools,

18and makes slaves of kings.

19God removes priests and others

who have great power—

20he confuses wise,

experienced advisers,

21puts mighty kings to shame,

and takes away their power.

22God turns darkness to light;

23he makes nations strong,

then shatters their strength.

24God strikes their rulers senseless,

then leaves them to roam

through barren deserts,

25lost in the dark, staggering

like someone drunk.