Job 12
1 Then Job answered and said,
| וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ |
2 No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
| אָ֭מְנָם כִּ֣י אַתֶּם־עָ֑ם וְ֝עִמָּכֶ֗ם תָּמ֥וּת חָכְמָֽה׃ |
3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who does not know such things as these?
| גַּם־לִ֤י לֵבָ֨ב ׀ כְּֽמֹוכֶ֗ם לֹא־נֹפֵ֣ל אָנֹכִ֣י מִכֶּ֑ם וְאֶת־מִי־אֵ֥ין כְּמֹו־אֵֽלֶּה׃ |
4 I am as a man who is a laughing-stock to his neighbor. I who called upon God, and he answered. The just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock.
| שְׂחֹ֤ק לְרֵעֵ֨הוּ ׀ אֶֽהְיֶ֗ה קֹרֵ֣א לֶ֭אֱלֹוהַּ וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑הוּ שְׂ֝חֹ֗וק צַדִּ֥יק תָּמִֽים׃ |
5 In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for calamity. It is ready for those whose foot slips.
| לַפִּ֣יד בּ֭וּז לְעַשְׁתּ֣וּת שַׁאֲנָ֑ן נָ֝כֹ֗ון לְמֹ֣ועֲדֵי רָֽגֶל׃ |
6 The tents of robbers prosper, and those who provoke God are secure. Into whose hand God brings abundantly.
| יִשְׁלָ֤יוּ אֹֽהָלִ֨ים ׀ לְשֹׁ֥דְדִ֗ים וּֽ֭בַטֻּחֹות לְמַרְגִּ֣יזֵי אֵ֑ל לַאֲשֶׁ֤ר הֵבִ֖יא אֱלֹ֣והַּ בְּיָדֹֽו׃ |
7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee, and the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee.
| וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁאַל־נָ֣א בְהֵמֹ֣ות וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וְעֹ֥וף הַ֝שָּׁמַ֗יִם וְיַגֶּד־לָֽךְ׃ |
8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee, and the fishes of the sea shall declare to thee.
| אֹ֤ו שִׂ֣יחַ לָאָ֣רֶץ וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וִֽיסַפְּר֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ דְּגֵ֣י הַיָּֽם׃ |
9 Who does not know in all these, that the hand of Jehovah has wrought this,
| מִ֭י לֹא־יָדַ֣ע בְּכָל־אֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֥י יַד־יְ֝הוָה עָ֣שְׂתָה זֹּֽאת׃ |
10 in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּ֭יָדֹו נֶ֣פֶשׁ כָּל־חָ֑י וְ֝ר֗וּחַ כָּל־בְּשַׂר־אִֽישׁ׃ |
11 Does not the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?
| הֲלֹא־אֹ֭זֶן מִלִּ֣ין תִּבְחָ֑ן וְ֝חֵ֗ךְ אֹ֣כֶל יִטְעַם־לֹֽו׃ |
12 With aged men is wisdom, and in length of days understanding.
| בִּֽישִׁישִׁ֥ים חָכְמָ֑ה וְאֹ֖רֶךְ יָמִ֣ים תְּבוּנָֽה׃ |
13 With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.
| עִ֭מֹּו חָכְמָ֣ה וּגְבוּרָ֑ה לֹ֝֗ו עֵצָ֥ה וּתְבוּנָֽה׃ |
14 Behold, he breaks down, and it cannot be built again. He shuts up a man, and there can be no opening.
| הֵ֣ן יַ֭הֲרֹוס וְלֹ֣א יִבָּנֶ֑ה יִסְגֹּ֥ר עַל־אִ֝֗ישׁ וְלֹ֣א יִפָּתֵֽחַ׃ |
15 Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.
| הֵ֤ן יַעְצֹ֣ר בַּמַּ֣יִם וְיִבָ֑שׁוּ וִֽ֝ישַׁלְּחֵ֗ם וְיַ֖הַפְכוּ אָֽרֶץ׃ |
16 With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.
| עִ֭מֹּו עֹ֣ז וְתֽוּשִׁיָּ֑ה לֹ֝֗ו שֹׁגֵ֥ג וּמַשְׁגֶּֽה׃ |
17 He leads counselors away stripped, and he makes judges fools.
| מֹולִ֣יךְ יֹועֲצִ֣ים שֹׁולָ֑ל וְֽשֹׁפְטִ֥ים יְהֹולֵֽל׃ |
18 He loosens the bond of kings, and he binds their loins with a belt.
| מוּסַ֣ר מְלָכִ֣ים פִּתֵּ֑חַ וַיֶּאְסֹ֥ר אֵ֝זֹ֗ור בְּמָתְנֵיהֶֽם׃ |
19 He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.
| מֹולִ֣יךְ כֹּהֲנִ֣ים שֹׁולָ֑ל וְאֵֽתָנִ֣ים יְסַלֵּֽף׃ |
20 He removes the speech of the trustworthy, and takes away the understanding of the elders.
| מֵסִ֣יר שָׂ֭פָה לְנֶאֱמָנִ֑ים וְטַ֖עַם זְקֵנִ֣ים יִקָּֽח׃ |
21 He pours contempt upon rulers, and weakens the strength of the strong.
| שֹׁופֵ֣ךְ בּ֭וּז עַל־נְדִיבִ֑ים וּמְזִ֖יחַ אֲפִיקִ֣ים רִפָּֽה׃ |
22 He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.
| מְגַלֶּ֣ה עֲ֭מֻקֹות מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵ֖א לָאֹ֣ור צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ |
23 He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.
| מַשְׂגִּ֣יא לַ֭גֹּויִם וַֽיְאַבְּדֵ֑ם שֹׁטֵ֥חַ לַ֝גֹּויִ֗ם וַיַּנְחֵֽם׃ |
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.
| מֵסִ֗יר לֵ֭ב רָאשֵׁ֣י עַם־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם בְּתֹ֣הוּ לֹא־דָֽרֶךְ׃ |
25 They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them to stagger like a drunken man.
| יְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אֹ֑ור וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם כַּשִּׁכֹּֽור׃ |
