Job 11:12

NETBible

But an empty man will become wise, when a wild donkey’s colt is born a human being.

NIV ©

But a witless man can no more become wise than a wild donkey’s colt can be born a man.

NASB ©

"An idiot will become intelligent When the foal of a wild donkey is born a man.

NLT ©

An empty–headed person won’t become wise any more than a wild donkey can bear human offspring!

MSG ©

Hollow men, hollow women, will wise up about the same time mules learn to talk.

BBE ©

And so a hollow-minded man will get wisdom, when a young ass of the field gets teaching.

NRSV ©

But a stupid person will get understanding, when a wild ass is born human.

NKJV ©

For an empty–headed man will be wise, When a wild donkey’s colt is born a man.


KJV
For vain
<05014> (8803)
man
<0376>
would be wise
<03823> (8735)_,
though man
<0120>
be born
<03205> (8735)
[like] a wild ass's
<06501>
colt
<05895>_.
{vain: Heb. empty}
NASB ©

"An idiot
<376>
<5014> will become
<3823>
intelligent
<3823>
When the foal
<5895>
of a wild
<6501>
donkey
<6501>
is born
<3205>
a man
<120>
.
LXXM
anyrwpov
<444> 
N-NSM
de
<1161> 
PRT
allwv
<243> 
ADV
nhcetai {V-PMI-3S} logoiv
<3056> 
N-DPM
brotov {N-NSM} de
<1161> 
PRT
gennhtov
<1084> 
A-NSM
gunaikov
<1135> 
N-GSF
isa
<2470> 
ADV
onw
<3688> 
N-DSM
erhmith {N-DSM}
NET [draft] ITL
But an empty
<05014>
man
<0376>
will become wise
<03823>
, when a wild donkey’s
<06501>
colt
<05895>
is born
<03205>
a human being
<0120>
.
HEBREW
dlwy
<03205>
Mda
<0120>
arp
<06501>
ryew
<05895>
bbly
<03823>
bwbn
<05014>
syaw (11:12)
<0376>

NETBible

But an empty man will become wise, when a wild donkey’s colt is born a human being.

NET Notes

tn As A. B. Davidson (Job, 84) says, the one thing will happen when the other happens – which is never. The word “empty” נָבוּב (navuv) means “hollow; witless,” and “become wise” (יִלָּבֵב, yillavev) is “will get heart” (not to “lack heart” as Driver suggested”). Many commentators do not like the last line of the verse, and so offer even more emendations. E. F. Sutcliffe wanted to change פֶּרֶא (pere’, “donkey”) to פֶּרֶד (pered, “stallion”), rendering “a witless wight may get wit when a mule is born a stallion” (“Notes on Job, textual and exegetical,” Bib 30 [1949]: 70-71); and others approached the verse by changing the verb from יִוָּלֵד (yivvaled, “is born”) to יִלָּמֵד (yillamed, “is taught”), resulting in “a hollow man may get understanding, and a wild donkey’s colt may be taught [= tamed]” (cf. NAB).