Job 12
1 And Job made answer and said,
Then Job answered and said:
2 No doubt you have knowledge, and wisdom will come to an end with you.
No doubt ye are the whole people! And wisdom will die with you!
3 But I have a mind as well as you; I am equal to you: yes, who has not knowledge of 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 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!
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 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.
To calamity belongeth contempt in the mind of one at ease; It is ready for them that slip with the feet.
6 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.
The tents of robbers are in prosperity, And they who provoke God are secure, Who carry their God in their hand.
7 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;
For ask now the beasts, and they will teach thee; Or the fowls of the air, and they will tell thee;
8 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.
Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct thee; And the fishes of the sea will declare unto thee.
9 Who does not see by all these 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 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all flesh of man.
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind.
11 Are not words tested by the ear, even as food is tasted by the mouth?
Doth not the ear prove words, As the mouth tasteth meat?
12 Old men have wisdom, and a long life gives knowledge.
With the aged is wisdom, And with length of days is understanding.
13 With him there is wisdom and strength; power and knowledge are his.
With Him are wisdom and strength; With Him counsel and understanding.
14 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.
Lo! he pulleth down, and it shall not be rebuilt; He bindeth a man, and he shall not be set loose.
15 Truly, he keeps back the waters and they are dry; he sends them out and the earth is overturned.
Lo! he withholdeth the waters, and they are dried up; He sendeth them forth, and they lay waste the earth.
16 With him are strength and wise designs; he who is guided into error, together with his guide, are in his hands;
With him are strength and wisdom; The deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He takes away the wisdom of the wise guides, and makes judges foolish;
He leadeth counsellors away captive, And judges he maketh fools.
18 He undoes the chains of kings, and puts his band on them;
He looseth the authority of kings, And bindeth their loins with a cord.
19 He makes priests prisoners, overturning those in safe positions;
He leadeth priests away captive, And overthroweth the mighty.
20 He makes the words of responsible persons without effect, and takes away the good sense of the old;
He removeth speech from the trusty, And taketh away judgment from the elders.
21 He puts shame on chiefs, and takes away the power of the strong;
He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the girdle of the mighty.
22 Uncovering deep things out of the dark, and making the deep shade bright;
He revealeth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth the shadow of death to light.
23 Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.
He exalteth nations, and destroyeth them; He enlargeth nations, and leadeth them captive.
24 He takes away the wisdom of the rulers of the earth, and sends them wandering in a waste where there is no way.
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 go feeling about in the dark without light, wandering without help like those overcome with wine.
They grope in the dark without light; He maketh them stagger like a drunken man.
