Job 12
1 Then Job answered:
Then Job answered and said:
2 “Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die!
No doubt ye are the whole people! And wisdom will die 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 understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yea, who knoweth 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 become a laughing-stock to my friend, —I who call upon God, that he would answer me! The innocent and upright man is held in derision.
5 The one at ease scorns misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
To calamity belongeth contempt in the mind of one at ease; It is ready for them that slip with the feet.
6 The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure— those who carry their god in their hands.
The tents of robbers are in prosperity, And they who provoke God are secure, Who carry their God in their hand.
7 But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
For ask now the beasts, and they will teach thee; Or the fowls of the air, and they will tell 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 it will instruct thee; And the fishes of the sea will declare unto thee.
9 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?
Who among all these doth not know That the hand of Jehovah doeth these things?
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 mankind.
11 Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes its food?
Doth not the ear prove words, As the mouth tasteth meat?
12 Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.
With the aged is wisdom, And with length of days is understanding.
13 Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.
With Him are wisdom and strength; With Him counsel and understanding.
14 What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
Lo! he pulleth down, and it shall not be rebuilt; He bindeth a man, and he shall not be set loose.
15 If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.
Lo! he withholdeth the waters, and they are dried up; He sendeth them forth, and they lay waste the earth.
16 True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.
With him are strength and wisdom; The deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.
He leadeth counsellors away captive, And judges he maketh fools.
18 He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists.
He looseth the authority of kings, And bindeth their loins with a cord.
19 He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.
He leadeth priests away captive, And overthroweth the mighty.
20 He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.
He removeth speech from the trusty, And taketh away judgment from the elders.
21 He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.
He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the girdle of the mighty.
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.
He revealeth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth the shadow of death to light.
23 He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.
He exalteth nations, and destroyeth them; He enlargeth nations, and leadeth them captive.
24 He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
He taketh away the understanding of the great men of the land, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness, where is no path;
25 They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.
They grope in the dark without light; He maketh them stagger like a drunken man.
