< Job 12 >

1 Then Job answered,
To naah Job mah,
2 “No doubt, but you are the people, and wisdom will die with you.
Nangcae loe kami ah na oh o pongah, palunghahaih hoiah nawnto na dueh o tih, tiah palunghaeng han om ai.
3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who doesn’t know such things as these?
Kai doeh nangcae baktiah poekhaih ka tawnh toeng; nangcae pongah ka hnaem kue ai; ue, mi maw hae baktih hmuennawk panoek ai ah kaom?
4 I am like one who is a joke to his neighbour, I, who called on God, and he answered. The just, the blameless man is a joke.
Sithaw ka kawk naah, anih mah ang pathimh; toe ka imtaeng kami mah ang pahnui thuih; katoeng kami hoi coek koi om ai kami loe pahnuithuihaih ah ni oh.
5 In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune. It is ready for them whose foot slips.
Hmaiim baktiah khosak hoih kami mah raihaih katong amtimh tom kami to pahnuithuih.
6 The tents of robbers prosper. Those who provoke God are secure, who carry their god in their hands.
Hmuenmae taek kaminawk ih kahni im loe qoeng tahang, Sithaw panoek ai kaminawk loe ngancuem o; Sithaw mah a ban hoiah angraenghaih to paek.
7 “But ask the animals now, and they will teach you; the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
Toe vaihi moisannawk to dueng oh, nihcae mah na patuk tih; van ih tavaanawk to dueng oh, nihcae mah na thui o tih;
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you. The fish of the sea will declare to you.
to tih ai boeh loe long to dueng oh, anih mah na patuek ueloe, tuipui tanganawk mah na thui o tih.
9 Who doesn’t know that in all these, the LORD’s hand has done this,
Hae hmuennawk loe Angraeng mah ni a ban hoiah sak, tiah moisannawk mah mataeng doeh panoek o na ai maw?
10 in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?
A sak ih hmuennawk boih ih hinghaih hoi kami anghahhaih takhi loe a ban ah ni oh.
11 Doesn’t the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?
Pakha mah caaknaek pataengh baktih toengah, naa mah loknawk to tanoek na ai maw?
12 With aged men is wisdom, in length of days understanding.
Saning coeh kami loe palunghahaih hoiah koi; saning kasawk ah hing kami loe panoek thaihaih to tawnh.
13 “With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.
Toe Sithaw loe palunghahaih hoi thacakhaih hoiah akoep; palunghahaih hoi panoek thaihaih doeh anih ih ni.
14 Behold, he breaks down, and it can’t be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
Khenah, anih mah phraek ih hmuen loe, mi mah doeh sah let thai ai boeh; anih mah pakhrak ih kami loe, mi mah doeh loisak thai ai boeh.
15 Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.
Khenah, anih mah tui pakaa naah, tui to kaang; anih mah paongh naah, long loe tui hoiah koi.
16 With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.
Anih loe thacakhaih hoi palunghahaih hoiah koi; aling kami hoi aling kop kami doeh angmah ban ah ni oh.
17 He leads counsellors away stripped. He makes judges fools.
Anih mah kahoih poekhaih paek kaminawk to amrosak moe, lokcaek kaminawk to amthusak.
18 He loosens the bond of kings. He binds their waist with a belt.
Anih mah siangpahrangnawk to takhoe moe, kazii hoiah zaeng.
19 He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.
Anih mah qaimanawk to takhoe moe, thacak kami to amtimsak.
20 He removes the speech of those who are trusted, and takes away the understanding of the elders.
Anih mah oepthok kahoih poekhaih paek kaminawk ih pahni to tamuep pae moe, kacoehtanawk khopoek thaihaih to lak pae ving.
21 He pours contempt on princes, and loosens the belt of the strong.
Anih mah angraengnawk to azatpawsak moe, thacak kaminawk to thazoksak.
22 He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.
Anih mah khoving thung hoiah kathuk hmuennawk to amtuengsak moe, duekhaih tahlip to aanghaih thungah zaeh.
23 He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.
Prae kaminawk to lensak moe, amrosak let; praenawk to kaawksak moe, tamcaeksak let.
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.
Long zaehoikungnawk ih palunghahaih to a lak pae ving moe, loklam om ai praezaek ah amhetsak.
25 They grope in the dark without light. He makes them stagger like a drunken man.
Nihcae loe aanghaih kaom ai khoving thungah pathoep hoiah avah o moe, mu paqui kami baktiah ahnuk ahmaa amtimh hoiah lam caeh o.

< Job 12 >