Job 12

1 Then Job answered,

And Job answereth and saith: —

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

Truly — ye [are] the people, And with you doth wisdom 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 heart like you, I am not fallen more than you, And with whom is there not like 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 laughter to his friend I am: 'He calleth to God, and He answereth him,' A laughter [is] the perfect righteous one.

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

A torch — despised in the thoughts of the secure Is prepared for those sliding with the feet.

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

At peace are the tents of spoilers, And those provoking God have confidence, He into whose hand God hath brought.

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

And yet, ask, I pray thee, [One of] the beasts, and it doth shew thee, And a fowl of the heavens, And it doth declare to thee.

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

Or talk to the earth, and it sheweth thee, And fishes of the sea recount to thee:

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

'Who hath not known in all these, That the hand of Jehovah 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 breath of every living thing, And the spirit of all flesh of man.'

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

Doth not the ear try words? And the palate taste food for itself?

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

With the very aged [is] wisdom, And [with] length of days understanding.

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

With Him [are] wisdom and might, To him [are] 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 breaketh down, and it is not built up, He shutteth against a man, And it is not opened.

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

Lo, He keepeth in the waters, and they are dried up, And he sendeth them forth, And they overturn the land.

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

With Him [are] strength and wisdom, His the deceived and deceiver.

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

Causing counsellors to go away a spoil, And judges He maketh foolish.

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

The bands of kings He hath opened, And He bindeth a girdle on their loins.

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

Causing ministers to go away a spoil And strong ones He overthroweth.

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

Turning aside the lip of the stedfast, And the reason of the aged He taketh away.

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

Pouring contempt upon princes, And the girdle of the mighty He made feeble.

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

Removing deep things out of darkness, And He bringeth out to light death-shade.

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

Magnifying the nations, and He destroyeth them, Spreading out the nations, and He quieteth them.

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.

Turning aside the heart Of the heads of the people of the land, And he causeth them to wander In vacancy — no way!

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

They feel darkness, and not light, He causeth them to wander as a drunkard.