Job 12

1 And Job made answer and said,

Then Job answered,

2 No doubt you have knowledge, and wisdom will come to an end with you.

"No doubt, but you are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

3 But I have a mind as well as you; I am equal to you: yes, who has not knowledge of such things as these?

But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who doesn't know such things as these?

4 It seems that I am to be as one who is a cause of laughing to his neighbour, one who makes his prayer to God and is answered! the upright man who has done no wrong is to be made sport of!

I am like one who is a joke to his neighbor, I, who called on God, and he answered. The just, the blameless man is a joke.

5 In the thought of him who is in comfort there is no respect for one who is in trouble; such is the fate of those whose feet are slipping.

In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune. It is ready for them whose foot slips.

6 There is wealth in the tents of those who make destruction, and those by whom God is moved to wrath are safe; even those whose god is their strength.

The tents of robbers prosper. Those who provoke God are secure, who carry their god in their hands.

7 But put now a question to the beasts, and get teaching from them; or to the birds of the heaven, and they will make it clear to you;

"But ask the animals, now, and they shall teach you; the birds of the sky, and they shall tell you.

8 Or to the things which go flat on the earth, and they will give you wisdom; and the fishes of the sea will give you news of it.

Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach you. The fish of the sea shall declare to you.

9 Who does not see by all these that the hand of the Lord has done this?

Who doesn't know that in all these, the hand of the LORD has done this,

10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all flesh of man.

in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?

11 Are not words tested by the ear, even as food is tasted by the mouth?

Doesn't the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?

12 Old men have wisdom, and a long life gives knowledge.

With aged men is wisdom, in length of days understanding.

13 With him there is wisdom and strength; power and knowledge are his.

"With him is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.

14 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.

Look, he breaks down, and it can't be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.

15 Truly, he keeps back the waters and they are dry; he sends them out and the earth is overturned.

Look, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.

16 With him are strength and wise designs; he who is guided into error, together with his guide, are in his hands;

With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.

17 He takes away the wisdom of the wise guides, and makes judges foolish;

He leads counselors away stripped. He makes judges fools.

18 He undoes the chains of kings, and puts his band on them;

He loosens the bond of kings. He binds their waist with a belt.

19 He makes priests prisoners, overturning those in safe positions;

He leads cohanim away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.

20 He makes the words of responsible persons without effect, and takes away the good sense of the old;

He removes the speech of those who are trusted, and takes away the understanding of the elders.

21 He puts shame on chiefs, and takes away the power of the strong;

He pours contempt on princes, and loosens the belt of the strong.

22 Uncovering deep things out of the dark, and making the deep shade bright;

He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.

23 Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.

He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.

24 He takes away the wisdom of the rulers of the earth, and sends them wandering in a waste where there is no way.

He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

25 They go feeling about in the dark without light, wandering without help like those overcome with wine.

They grope in the dark without light. He makes them stagger like a drunken man.