< Job 12 >

1 Then Job answered and said,
Pea naʻe tali ʻe Siope, ʻo ne pehē,
2 No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
Ta ko kimoutolu pe ʻae kakai, pea ʻe mate mo kimoutolu ʻae poto.
3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who does not know such things as these?
Ka ʻoku ai hoku loto ʻo hangē pe ko kimoutolu; ʻoku ʻikai te u siʻi hifo au kiate kimoutolu: ʻio, ko hai ʻoku ʻikai ke ne ʻilo ki he ngaahi meʻa pehē ni?
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.
‌ʻOku ou tatau mo ha taha ʻoku taukaea ʻe hono kaungāʻapi, ʻo pehē, ʻoku ne ui ki he ʻOtua, pea ʻoku ne talia ia: ʻoku kata manukia ʻae tonuhia mo e angatonu.
5 In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for calamity. It is ready for those whose foot slips.
‌ʻO hangē ko e maama kuo fakatukutukuʻi, ʻoku pehē ʻaia ʻoku meimei hekea hono vaʻe ʻi he mahalo ʻo ia ʻoku fiemālie.
6 The tents of robbers prosper, and those who provoke God are secure. Into whose hand God brings abundantly.
‌ʻOku monūʻia ʻae ngaahi fale ʻoe kau kaihaʻa, pea ʻoku nofo fiemālie pē ʻakinautolu ʻoku fakahouhau ki he ʻOtua; ʻoku ʻatu lahi ʻe he ʻOtua ki honau nima.
7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee, and the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee.
“Kae fehuʻi eni ki he fanga manu, pea te nau akoʻi koe; mo e fanga manu ʻoe ʻatā, pea te nau tala kiate koe:
8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee, and the fishes of the sea shall declare to thee.
Pea lea ki he fonua, pea te ne akoʻi koe: pea ʻe fakahā kiate koe ʻe he ngaahi ika ʻoe tahi.
9 Who does not know in all these, that the hand of Jehovah has wrought this,
Ko hai ʻoku ʻikai te ne ʻilo ʻi he meʻa ni kotoa pē, ko e nima ʻo Sihova kuo ne fai eni?
10 in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?
‌ʻAia ʻoku ʻi hono nima ʻae moʻui ʻae meʻa moʻui fulipē, mo e mānava ʻoe kakai kotoa pē.
11 Does not the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?
‌ʻIkai ʻoku ʻahiʻahiʻi ʻe he telinga ʻae ngaahi lea? Pea kamata ʻe he ngutu hono kai?
12 With aged men is wisdom, and in length of days understanding.
Pea ʻoku ʻiate ia ʻoku talu mei muʻa ʻae poto; pea ko e ʻilo ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho lahi.
13 With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.
“ʻOku ʻiate ia ʻae poto mo e mālohi, ʻoku ʻiate ia ʻae fakakaukau mo e ʻilo.
14 Behold, he breaks down, and it cannot be built again. He shuts up a man, and there can be no opening.
Vakai, ʻoku ne holoki hifo, pea ʻe ʻikai faʻa toe fokotuʻu ia: ʻoku ne tāpuni ki he tangata, pea ʻoku ʻikai ke faʻa matoʻo.
15 Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.
Vakai, ʻoku ne taʻofi ki he ngaahi vai, pea matuʻu ia: ʻoku ne fekau atu foki ia, pea ʻoku fulihi ʻe ia ʻae fonua.
16 With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.
‌ʻOku ʻiate ia ʻae mālohi mo e poto, ʻoku ʻoʻona ʻae kākāʻia mo ia ʻoku kākā.
17 He leads counselors away stripped, and he makes judges fools.
‌ʻOku ne taki pōpula ʻae kau fakakaukau, pea ne fakavaleʻi ʻae kau fakamaau.
18 He loosens the bond of kings, and he binds their loins with a belt.
Ko e haʻi ʻoe ngaahi tuʻi kuo ne vete, ka ne haʻihaʻi honau noʻotanga vala ʻaki ʻae haʻi.
19 He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.
‌ʻOku ne taki pōpula ʻae ngaahi houʻeiki, pea ʻoku ne lī ki lalo ʻae mālohi.
20 He removes the speech of the trustworthy, and takes away the understanding of the elders.
‌ʻOku ne toʻo atu ʻae lea ʻae kau poto, pea toʻo mo e ʻilo ʻae mātuʻa.
21 He pours contempt upon rulers, and weakens the strength of the strong.
‌ʻOku ne lilingi ʻae manukia ki he ngaahi houʻeiki, pea ne vete ʻae noʻo ʻoe mālohi.
22 He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.
‌ʻOku ne fakahā ʻae ngaahi meʻa lilo mei he fakapoʻuli, pea ne ʻomi ki he maama ʻae ʻata ʻoe mate.
23 He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.
‌ʻOku ne fakatokolahi ʻakinautolu ʻoku ne fakalahi ʻae ngaahi puleʻanga, pea toe fakasiʻisiʻi ia.
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.
‌ʻOku ne toʻo ʻo ʻave ʻae loto ʻoe ngaahi ʻeiki ʻoe kakai ʻo māmani, ʻo ne pule ke nau ʻalu fano ʻi ha toafa taʻehahala.
25 They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them to stagger like a drunken man.
‌ʻOku nau tautaufā ʻi he poʻuli taʻehamaama, pea ʻoku ne pule ke nau fehēaki fano ʻo hangē ha konā.

< Job 12 >