Job 12

1 Then responded Job, and said: —

Then Job answered,

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

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

3 I also, have a mind like you, I, fall not short, of you, But who hath not 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 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!

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

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

6 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.

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

7 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;

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

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

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

9 Who knoweth not, among all these, that, the hand of Yahweh, hath 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 spirit of all the flesh of men.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He leads counselors away stripped. He makes judges fools.

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

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

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

He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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