Job 12
1 And Job made answer and said,
Then responded Job, and said: —
2 No doubt you have knowledge, and wisdom will come to an end with you.
Of a truth, ye, are the people, and, with you, wisdom, will die.
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?
I also, have a mind like you, I, fall not short, of you, But who hath 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!
A laughing-stock to one’s neighbour, do I become, one who hath called upon GOD and he hath answered him! A laughing-stock—a righteous man without blame!
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.
For ruin, there is contempt, in the thought of the man at ease, —ready, for such as are of faltering foot!
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.
At peace are the tents that belong to the spoilers, and there is security to them who provoke GOD, To him who bringeth a god in his 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;
But, in very deed, ask, I pray thee, the beasts, and they will teach thee, and the bird of the heavens, and it 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 address the earth, and it will teach thee, and the fishes of the sea, will recount it to thee:
9 Who does not see by all these that the hand of the Lord has done this?
Who knoweth not, among all these, that, the hand of Yahweh, hath done this?
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 spirit of all the flesh of men.
11 Are not words tested by the ear, even as food is tasted by the mouth?
Doth not, the ear, try, words? even as, the palate, tasteth for itself, food?
12 Old men have wisdom, and a long life gives knowledge.
In the Ancient, is wisdom, and [in] Length of Days, understanding:
13 With him there is wisdom and strength; power and knowledge are his.
With Him, are wisdom and strength, to Him, pertain 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 cannot be built, He closeth up over a man, and it cannot be opened:
15 Truly, he keeps back the waters and they are dry; he sends them out and the earth is overturned.
Lo! He holdeth back the waters, and they dry up, or sendeth them out, and they transform 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, is strength and effective wisdom, to Him, belong he that erreth, and he that causeth to err.
17 He takes away the wisdom of the wise guides, and makes judges foolish;
Who leadeth away counsellors [as] a spoil, and, judges, He befooleth:
18 He undoes the chains of kings, and puts his band on them;
The fetters of kings, He looseth, or hath bound a slave’s waistcloth about their loins:
19 He makes priests prisoners, overturning those in safe positions;
Who leadeth away priests [as] a spoil, and, men firmly seated, He overturneth:
20 He makes the words of responsible persons without effect, and takes away the good sense of the old;
Setting aside the speech of the trusty, and, the discernment of elders, He taketh away:
21 He puts shame on chiefs, and takes away the power of the strong;
Pouring contempt upon nobles, and, the girdle of the mighty, hath He loosed:
22 Uncovering deep things out of the dark, and making the deep shade bright;
Laying open deep things, out of darkness, and bringing out to light, the death-shade:
23 Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.
Who giveth greatness to nations, or destroyeth them, Who spreadeth out nations, or leadeth them into exile:
24 He takes away the wisdom of the rulers of the earth, and sends them wandering in a waste where there is no way.
Who taketh away the sense of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and hath caused them to wander in a pathless waste:
25 They go feeling about in the dark without light, wandering without help like those overcome with wine.
They grope about in the dark, having no light, and He hath made them to reel, like a drunken man.
