Job 12
1 Then Job answered,
Then Job answered:
2 “No doubt, but you are the people, and wisdom will die with you.
“Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die!
3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who doesn’t know such things as these?
But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know 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.
I am a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God, and He answered. The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.
5 In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune. It is ready for them whose foot slips.
The one at ease scorns misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
6 The tents of robbers prosper. Those who provoke God are secure, who carry their god in their hands.
The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure— those who carry their god in their hands.
7 “But ask the animals now, and they will teach you; the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you. The fish of the sea will declare to you.
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you.
9 Who doesn’t know that in all these, Yahweh’s hand has done this,
Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?
10 in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?
The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.
11 Doesn’t the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?
Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes its food?
12 With aged men is wisdom, in length of days understanding.
Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.
13 “With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.
Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.
14 Behold, he breaks down, and it can’t be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
15 Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.
If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.
16 With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.
True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.
17 He leads counselors away stripped. He makes judges fools.
He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.
18 He loosens the bond of kings. He binds their waist with a belt.
He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists.
19 He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.
He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.
20 He removes the speech of those who are trusted, and takes away the understanding of the elders.
He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.
21 He pours contempt on princes, and loosens the belt of the strong.
He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.
22 He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.
He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.
23 He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.
He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses 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.
He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
25 They grope in the dark without light. He makes them stagger like a drunken man.
They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.
