Bible in Basic English
He takes away the wisdom of the wise guides, and makes judges foolish;
He undoes the chains of kings, and puts his band on them;
He makes priests prisoners, overturning those in safe positions;
He makes the words of responsible persons without effect, and takes away the good sense of the old;
He puts shame on chiefs, and takes away the power of the strong;
Uncovering deep things out of the dark, and making the deep shade bright;
Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.
He takes away the wisdom of the rulers of the earth, and sends them wandering in a waste where there is no way.
They go feeling about in the dark without light, wandering without help like those overcome with wine.
— Job 12:17-1964, Bible in Basic English
“He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools. He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle. He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty. He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged. He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty. He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death. He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again. He 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. They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man. ”
Truly, there is no building up of what is pulled down by him; when a man is shut up by him, no one may let him loose.
Truly, he keeps back the waters and they are dry; he sends them out and the earth is overturned.
With him are strength and wise designs; he who is guided into error, together with his guide, are in his hands;
He takes away the wisdom of the wise guides, and makes judges foolish;
He undoes the chains of kings, and puts his band on them;
He makes priests prisoners, overturning those in safe positions;
He makes the words of responsible persons without effect, and takes away the good sense of the old;
He puts shame on chiefs, and takes away the power of the strong;
Uncovering deep things out of the dark, and making the deep shade bright;
Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.
He takes away the wisdom of the rulers of the earth, and sends them wandering in a waste where there is no way.
They go feeling about in the dark without light, wandering without help like those overcome with wine.