Job 12
1 To naah Job mah,
And Job made answer and said,
2 Nangcae loe kami ah na oh o pongah, palunghahaih hoiah nawnto na dueh o tih, tiah palunghaeng han om ai.
No doubt you have knowledge, and wisdom will come to an end with you.
3 Kai doeh nangcae baktiah poekhaih ka tawnh toeng; nangcae pongah ka hnaem kue ai; ue, mi maw hae baktih hmuennawk panoek ai ah kaom?
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 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.
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 Hmaiim baktiah khosak hoih kami mah raihaih katong amtimh tom kami to pahnuithuih.
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 Hmuenmae taek kaminawk ih kahni im loe qoeng tahang, Sithaw panoek ai kaminawk loe ngancuem o; Sithaw mah a ban hoiah angraenghaih to paek.
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 Toe vaihi moisannawk to dueng oh, nihcae mah na patuk tih; van ih tavaanawk to dueng oh, nihcae mah na thui o tih;
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 to tih ai boeh loe long to dueng oh, anih mah na patuek ueloe, tuipui tanganawk mah na thui o tih.
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 Hae hmuennawk loe Angraeng mah ni a ban hoiah sak, tiah moisannawk mah mataeng doeh panoek o na ai maw?
Who does not see by all these that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 A sak ih hmuennawk boih ih hinghaih hoi kami anghahhaih takhi loe a ban ah ni oh.
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all flesh of man.
11 Pakha mah caaknaek pataengh baktih toengah, naa mah loknawk to tanoek na ai maw?
Are not words tested by the ear, even as food is tasted by the mouth?
12 Saning coeh kami loe palunghahaih hoiah koi; saning kasawk ah hing kami loe panoek thaihaih to tawnh.
Old men have wisdom, and a long life gives knowledge.
13 Toe Sithaw loe palunghahaih hoi thacakhaih hoiah akoep; palunghahaih hoi panoek thaihaih doeh anih ih ni.
With him there is wisdom and strength; power and knowledge are his.
14 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.
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 Khenah, anih mah tui pakaa naah, tui to kaang; anih mah paongh naah, long loe tui hoiah koi.
Truly, he keeps back the waters and they are dry; he sends them out and the earth is overturned.
16 Anih loe thacakhaih hoi palunghahaih hoiah koi; aling kami hoi aling kop kami doeh angmah ban ah ni oh.
With him are strength and wise designs; he who is guided into error, together with his guide, are in his hands;
17 Anih mah kahoih poekhaih paek kaminawk to amrosak moe, lokcaek kaminawk to amthusak.
He takes away the wisdom of the wise guides, and makes judges foolish;
18 Anih mah siangpahrangnawk to takhoe moe, kazii hoiah zaeng.
He undoes the chains of kings, and puts his band on them;
19 Anih mah qaimanawk to takhoe moe, thacak kami to amtimsak.
He makes priests prisoners, overturning those in safe positions;
20 Anih mah oepthok kahoih poekhaih paek kaminawk ih pahni to tamuep pae moe, kacoehtanawk khopoek thaihaih to lak pae ving.
He makes the words of responsible persons without effect, and takes away the good sense of the old;
21 Anih mah angraengnawk to azatpawsak moe, thacak kaminawk to thazoksak.
He puts shame on chiefs, and takes away the power of the strong;
22 Anih mah khoving thung hoiah kathuk hmuennawk to amtuengsak moe, duekhaih tahlip to aanghaih thungah zaeh.
Uncovering deep things out of the dark, and making the deep shade bright;
23 Prae kaminawk to lensak moe, amrosak let; praenawk to kaawksak moe, tamcaeksak let.
Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.
24 Long zaehoikungnawk ih palunghahaih to a lak pae ving moe, loklam om ai praezaek ah amhetsak.
He takes away the wisdom of the rulers of the earth, and sends them wandering in a waste where there is no way.
25 Nihcae loe aanghaih kaom ai khoving thungah pathoep hoiah avah o moe, mu paqui kami baktiah ahnuk ahmaa amtimh hoiah lam caeh o.
They go feeling about in the dark without light, wandering without help like those overcome with wine.
