Job 12
1 Then Job answered:
Then answered Job, and said,
2 “Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die!
Truly ye are indeed the [right kind of] people, and with you wisdom must die out.
3 But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?
I also have sense like you; I do not fall short compared with you: and who possesseth not 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.
I am as one laughed at by his friend, who calleth upon God, while he answered him: [yea, ] a laughing-stock though righteous and innocent.
5 The one at ease scorns misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
To the unfortunate there is given contempt— according to the thoughts of him that is at ease— prepared [also] for those whose foot slippeth.
6 The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure— those who carry their god in their hands.
Prosperous are the tents of robbers, and security is given to those that provoke God. to him who carrieth his god in his hand.
7 But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
Yet, do only ask of the beasts, and they will instruct thee; and the fowls of the heavens, and they will tell it thee;
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you.
Or speak to the earth, and she will instruct thee; and the fishes of the sea will inform thee
9 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?
Who knoweth not through all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?
10 The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.
[He] in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all the bodies of men?
11 Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes its food?
Doth not the ear try words, as the palate tasteth food for itself?
12 Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.
So It with the ancients wisdom, and with [those of] length of days understanding,
13 Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.
That with him are wisdom and strength, his are counsel and understanding.
14 What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
Behold, he pulleth down, and there can be no rebuilding: he locketh [the prison] upon a man, and there can be no opening,
15 If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.
Behold, he restraineth the waters, and they dry up; or he suffereth them to flow, and they overturn the earth.
16 True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.
With him are strength and counsel: his are the deceived and the deceiver.
17 He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.
He leadeth counsellors away bereft of sense, and maketh the judges fools.
18 He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists.
He looseth the bond of kings, and bindeth a girdle around their loins.
19 He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.
He leadeth priests away bereft of sense, and the powerful he causeth to walk on crooked paths.
20 He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.
He removeth the speech from trusty speakers, and taketh away the intelligence of the aged.
21 He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.
He poureth contempt upon princes, and the belt of the mighty be looseneth.
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.
He layeth open deep things from the midst of darkness, and bringeth out unto light the shadow of death.
23 He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.
He permitteth the nations to become great, and destroyeth them: he spreadeth out the nations, and leadeth them away.
24 He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
He taketh away the sense of the chiefs of the people of the land, and causeth them to wander astray in a wilderness when there is no way.
25 They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.
They grope in the dark without light, and he causeth them to wander astray like a drunken man.
