Job 12

1 Then Job said [to his three friends],

When Job answered, and said:

2 “You (talk as though/You think) [SAR] that you are the people [whom everyone should listen to], and that when you die, there will be no more wise people.

Are you then men alone, and shall wisdom die with you?

3 But I have as much good sense as you do; I am (not less wise than/certainly as wise as [LIT]) you. Certainly everyone knows [RHQ] all that you have said.

I also have a heart as well as you: for who is ignorant of these things, which you know?

4 My friends all laugh at me now. Previously I habitually requested God to help me, and he answered/helped me. I am righteous, a very godly man [DOU], but everyone laughs at me.

He that is mocked by his friends as I, shall call upon God and he will hear him: for the simplicity of the just man is laughed to scorn.

5 Those [like you] who have no troubles make fun of me; they cause those [like me] who are already suffering to have more troubles.

The lamp despised in the thoughts of the rich, is ready for the time appointed.

6 Bandits live peacefully, and no one threatens those who cause God to become angry; their own strength is the god [that they worship].

The tabernacles of robbers abound, and they provoke God boldly; whereas it is he that hath given all into their hands:

7 “But ask the wild animals [what they know about God], and [if they could speak] they would teach you. [If you could] ask the birds, they would tell you.

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee: and the birds of the air, and they shall tell thee.

8 [If you could] ask the creatures [that crawl] on the ground, or the fish in the sea, they would tell you [about God].

Speak to the earth, and it shall answer thee: and the fishes of the sea shall tell.

9 All of them certainly know [RHQ] that it is Yahweh who has made them with his hands.

Who is ignorant that the hand of the Lord hath made all these things?

10 He directs the lives of all living creatures; he gives breath to all [us] humans [to enable us to remain alive].

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

11 And when we [SYN] hear what other people [like you] say, we [RHQ] think carefully about what they say [to determine what is good and what is bad], like we [SYN] taste food [to determine what is good and what is bad].

Doth not the ear discern words, and the palate of him that eateth, the taste?

12 Old people are [often] very wise, and because of having lived many years, they understand much,

In the ancient is wisdom, and in length of days prudence.

13 but God is wise and very powerful; he has good sense and understands [everything].

With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.

14 If he tears [something] down, no one can rebuild it; if he puts someone in prison, no one can open [the prison doors to allow that person to escape].

If he pull down, there is no man that can build up: if he shut up a. man, there is none that can open.

15 When he prevents rain from falling, everything dries up. When he causes a lot of rain to fall, [the result is that] there are floods.

If he withhold the waters, all things shall be dried up: and if he send them out, they shall overturn the earth.

16 He is the one who is truly strong and wise; he rules over those who deceive others and those whom they deceive.

With him is strength and wisdom: he knoweth both the deceiver, and him that is deceived.

17 He [sometimes] causes [the king’s] officials to no longer be wise, and he causes judges to become foolish.

He bringeth counsellors to a foolish end, and judges to insensibility.

18 He takes from kings the robes that they wear and puts loincloths around their waists, [causing them to become slaves].

He looseth the belt of kings, and girdeth their loins with a cord.

19 He takes from priests the sacred clothes that they wear, [with the result that they no longer can do their work], and takes power from those who rule others.

He leadeth away priests without glory, and overthroweth nobles.

20 He [sometimes] causes those whom others trust to be unable to speak, and he causes old men to no longer have good sense.

He changeth the speech of the true speakers, and taketh away the doctrine of the aged.

21 He causes those who have authority to be despised, and he causes those who are powerful to no longer have any power/strength.

He poureth contempt upon princes, and relieveth them that were oppressed.

22 He causes things that are hidden in the darkness to be revealed.

He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth up to light the shadow of death.

23 He causes some nations to become very great, and [later] he destroys them; he causes the territory of some nations to become much larger, and [later] he causes them to be defeated and their people to be scattered.

He multiplieth nations, and destroyeth them, and restoreth them again after they were overthrown.

24 He causes [some] rulers to become foolish/stupid, and then he causes them to wander around, lost, in an barren desert.

He changeth the heart of the princes of the people of the earth, and deceiveth them that they walk in vain where there is no way.

25 They grope around in the darkness, without any light, and he causes them to stagger like [SIM] people who are drunk.”

They shall grope as in the dark, and not in the light, and he shall make them stagger like men that are drunk.