Job 12
1 And Job answered and said,
And Job made answer and said,
2 Truly ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you!
No doubt you have knowledge, and wisdom will come to an end with you.
3 I also have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you; and who knoweth not 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 to be one that is a derision to his friend, I who call upon God, and whom he will answer: a derision is the just upright [man].
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 He that is ready to stumble with the foot is a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.
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 desolators are in peace, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth.
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 now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowl of the heavens, and they shall tell thee;
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 shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
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 Who knoweth not in all these, that the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this?
Who does not see by all these that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all flesh of man.
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all flesh of man.
11 Doth not the ear try words, as the palate tasteth food?
Are not words tested by the ear, even as food is tasted by the mouth?
12 With the aged is wisdom, and in length of days understanding.
Old men have wisdom, and a long life gives knowledge.
13 With him is wisdom and might; he hath counsel and understanding.
With him there is wisdom and strength; power and knowledge are his.
14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it is not built again; he shutteth up a man, and there is no opening.
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 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; and he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
Truly, he keeps back the waters and they are dry; he sends them out and the earth is overturned.
16 With him is strength and effectual knowledge; 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 leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and judges maketh he fools;
He takes away the wisdom of the wise guides, and makes judges foolish;
18 He weakeneth the government of kings, and bindeth their loins with a fetter;
He undoes the chains of kings, and puts his band on them;
19 He leadeth priests away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty;
He makes priests prisoners, overturning those in safe positions;
20 He depriveth of speech the trusty, and taketh away the judgment of the elders;
He makes the words of responsible persons without effect, and takes away the good sense of the old;
21 He poureth contempt upon nobles, and slackeneth the girdle of the mighty;
He puts shame on chiefs, and takes away the power of the strong;
22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out into light the shadow of death;
Uncovering deep things out of the dark, and making the deep shade bright;
23 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; he spreadeth out the nations, and bringeth them in;
Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.
24 He taketh away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a pathless waste.
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 dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunkard.
They go feeling about in the dark without light, wandering without help like those overcome with wine.
