Job 11:12

But an empty man will become wise, when a wild donkey’s colt is born a human being. ¹ 

biblegateway Job 11:12

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

biblegateway Job 11:12

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

biblegateway Job 11:12

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

biblegateway Job 11:12

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

SABDAweb Job 11:12

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

bibleoremus Job 11:12

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

biblegateway Job 11:12

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

biblegateway Job 11:12

But an empty man will become wise, when a wild donkey’s colt is born a human being. ¹ 

¹ 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).