Job 12
1 Then Job answered and said,
And Job made answer and said,
2 “No doubt you are the people; wisdom will die with you.
No doubt you have knowledge, and wisdom will come to an end with you.
3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Indeed, who does not know such things as these?
But I have a mind as well as you; I am equal to you: yes, who has not knowledge of such things as these?
4 I am something for my neighbor to laugh at— I, one who called on God and who was answered by him! I, a just and blameless man—I am now something to laugh at.
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!
5 In the thought of someone who is at ease, there is contempt for misfortune; he thinks in a way that brings more misfortune to those whose foot is slipping.
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.
6 The tents of robbers prosper, and those who provoke God feel secure; their own hands are their gods.
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.
7 But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; ask the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you.
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;
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; the fish of the sea will declare to you.
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.
9 Which animal among all these does not know that the hand of Yahweh has done this?
Who does not see by all these that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In his 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 breath of all flesh of man.
11 Does not the ear test words just as the palate tastes its food?
Are not words tested by the ear, even as food is tasted by the mouth?
12 With aged men is wisdom; in length of days is understanding.
Old men have wisdom, and a long life gives knowledge.
13 With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding.
With him there is wisdom and strength; power and knowledge are his.
14 See, he breaks down, and it cannot be built again; if he imprisons someone, there can be no release.
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.
15 See, if he withholds the waters, they dry up; and if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
Truly, he keeps back the waters and they are dry; he sends them out and the earth is overturned.
16 With him are strength and wisdom; people who are deceived and the deceiver are both in his power.
With him are strength and wise designs; he who is guided into error, together with his guide, are in his hands;
17 He leads counselors away barefoot in sorrow; he turns judges into fools.
He takes away the wisdom of the wise guides, and makes judges foolish;
18 He takes off the chain of authority from kings; he wraps a cloth about their waists.
He undoes the chains of kings, and puts his band on them;
19 He leads priests away barefoot in sorrow and overthrows mighty people.
He makes priests prisoners, overturning those in safe positions;
20 He removes the speech of those who had been trusted and takes away the understanding of the elders.
He makes the words of responsible persons without effect, and takes away the good sense of the old;
21 He pours contempt upon princes and unfastens the belt of strong people.
He puts shame on chiefs, and takes away the power of the strong;
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light.
Uncovering deep things out of the dark, and making the deep shade bright;
23 He makes nations strong, and he also destroys them; He enlarges nations, and he also leads them along as prisoners.
Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.
24 He takes away understanding from the leaders of the people of the earth; he causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no path.
He takes away the wisdom of the rulers of the earth, and sends them wandering in a waste where there is no way.
25 They grope in the dark without light; he makes them stagger like a drunk man.
They go feeling about in the dark without light, wandering without help like those overcome with wine.
