Job 12
1 And Job answered and said,
Then responded Job, and said: —
2 Truly ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you!
Of a truth, ye, are the people, and, with you, wisdom, will die.
3 I also have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you; and who knoweth not 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 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].
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 He that is ready to stumble with the foot is a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.
For ruin, there is contempt, in the thought of the man at ease, —ready, for such as are of faltering foot!
6 The tents of desolators are in peace, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth.
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 ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowl of the heavens, and they shall tell thee;
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 speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
Or address the earth, and it will teach thee, and the fishes of the sea, will recount it to thee:
9 Who knoweth not in all these, that the hand of Jehovah hath wrought 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 spirit 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 Doth not the ear try words, as the palate tasteth food?
Doth not, the ear, try, words? even as, the palate, tasteth for itself, food?
12 With the aged is wisdom, and in length of days understanding.
In the Ancient, is wisdom, and [in] Length of Days, understanding:
13 With him is wisdom and might; he hath counsel and understanding.
With Him, are wisdom and strength, to Him, pertain counsel and understanding.
14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it is not built again; he shutteth up a man, and there is no opening.
Lo! He pulleth down, and it cannot be built, He closeth up over a man, and it cannot be opened:
15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; and he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
Lo! He holdeth back the waters, and they dry up, or sendeth them out, and they transform the earth:
16 With him is strength and effectual knowledge; the deceived and the deceiver are his.
With Him, is strength and effective wisdom, to Him, belong he that erreth, and he that causeth to err.
17 He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and judges maketh he fools;
Who leadeth away counsellors [as] a spoil, and, judges, He befooleth:
18 He weakeneth the government of kings, and bindeth their loins with a fetter;
The fetters of kings, He looseth, or hath bound a slave’s waistcloth about their loins:
19 He leadeth priests away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty;
Who leadeth away priests [as] a spoil, and, men firmly seated, He overturneth:
20 He depriveth of speech the trusty, and taketh away the judgment of the elders;
Setting aside the speech of the trusty, and, the discernment of elders, He taketh away:
21 He poureth contempt upon nobles, and slackeneth the girdle of the mighty;
Pouring contempt upon nobles, and, the girdle of the mighty, hath He loosed:
22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out into light the shadow of death;
Laying open deep things, out of darkness, and bringing out to light, the death-shade:
23 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; he spreadeth out the nations, and bringeth them in;
Who giveth greatness to nations, or destroyeth them, Who spreadeth out nations, or leadeth them into exile:
24 He taketh away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a pathless waste.
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 grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunkard.
They grope about in the dark, having no light, and He hath made them to reel, like a drunken man.
