Job 12

1 Then Job answered,

Then responded Job, and said: —

2 “No doubt, but you are the people, and wisdom will die with you.

Of a truth, ye, are the people, and, with you, wisdom, will die.

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

I also, have a mind like you, I, fall not short, of you, But who hath not such things as these?

4 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.

A laughing-stock to one’s neighbour, do I become, one who hath called upon GOD and he hath answered him! A laughing-stock—a righteous man without blame!

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

For ruin, there is contempt, in the thought of the man at ease, —ready, for such as are of faltering foot!

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

At peace are the tents that belong to the spoilers, and there is security to them who provoke GOD, To him who bringeth a god in his hand.

7 “But ask the animals now, and they will teach you; the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.

But, in very deed, ask, I pray thee, the beasts, and they will teach thee, and the bird of the heavens, and it will tell thee;

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

Or address the earth, and it will teach thee, and the fishes of the sea, will recount it to thee:

9 Who does not know that in all these, the LORD’s hand has done this,

Who knoweth not, among all these, that, the hand of Yahweh, hath done this?

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

In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all the flesh of men.

11 Does not the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?

Doth not, the ear, try, words? even as, the palate, tasteth for itself, food?

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

In the Ancient, is wisdom, and [in] Length of Days, understanding:

13 “With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.

With Him, are wisdom and strength, to Him, pertain counsel and understanding.

14 Behold, he breaks down, and it cannot be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.

Lo! He pulleth down, and it cannot be built, He closeth up over a man, and it cannot be opened:

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

Lo! He holdeth back the waters, and they dry up, or sendeth them out, and they transform the earth:

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

With Him, is strength and effective wisdom, to Him, belong he that erreth, and he that causeth to err.

17 He leads counselors away stripped. He makes judges fools.

Who leadeth away counsellors [as] a spoil, and, judges, He befooleth:

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

The fetters of kings, He looseth, or hath bound a slave’s waistcloth about their loins:

19 He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.

Who leadeth away priests [as] a spoil, and, men firmly seated, He overturneth:

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

Setting aside the speech of the trusty, and, the discernment of elders, He taketh away:

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

Pouring contempt upon nobles, and, the girdle of the mighty, hath He loosed:

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

Laying open deep things, out of darkness, and bringing out to light, the death-shade:

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

Who giveth greatness to nations, or destroyeth them, Who spreadeth out nations, or leadeth them into exile:

24 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.

Who taketh away the sense of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and hath caused them to wander in a pathless waste:

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

They grope about in the dark, having no light, and He hath made them to reel, like a drunken man.