Job 12
1 Then Job answered:
And Job made answer and said,
2 “Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die!
No doubt you have knowledge, and wisdom will come to an end with you.
3 But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?
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 I am a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God, and He answered. The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.
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 The one at ease scorns misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
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 The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure— those who carry their god in their hands.
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 But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
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 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you.
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 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?
Who does not see by all these that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all flesh of man.
11 Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes its food?
Are not words tested by the ear, even as food is tasted by the mouth?
12 Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.
Old men have wisdom, and a long life gives knowledge.
13 Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.
With him there is wisdom and strength; power and knowledge are his.
14 What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
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 If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.
Truly, he keeps back the waters and they are dry; he sends them out and the earth is overturned.
16 True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.
With him are strength and wise designs; he who is guided into error, together with his guide, are in his hands;
17 He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.
He takes away the wisdom of the wise guides, and makes judges foolish;
18 He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists.
He undoes the chains of kings, and puts his band on them;
19 He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.
He makes priests prisoners, overturning those in safe positions;
20 He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.
He makes the words of responsible persons without effect, and takes away the good sense of the old;
21 He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.
He puts shame on chiefs, and takes away the power of the strong;
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.
Uncovering deep things out of the dark, and making the deep shade bright;
23 He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.
Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.
24 He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
He takes away the wisdom of the rulers of the earth, and sends them wandering in a waste where there is no way.
25 They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.
They go feeling about in the dark without light, wandering without help like those overcome with wine.
