Job 12
1 And Job answered and said,
Then Job answered and said,
2 Truly ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you!
“No doubt you are the people; wisdom will die 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 understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Indeed, who does not know 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].
I am something for my neighbor to laugh at— I, one who called on God and who was answered by him! I, a just and blameless man—I am now something to laugh at.
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 someone who is at ease, there is contempt for misfortune; he thinks in a way that brings more misfortune to those whose foot is slipping.
6 The tents of desolators are in peace, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth.
The tents of robbers prosper, and those who provoke God feel secure; their own hands are their gods.
7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowl of the heavens, and they shall tell thee;
But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; ask the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you.
8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; the fish of the sea will declare to you.
9 Who knoweth not in all these, that the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this?
Which animal among all these does not know that the hand of Yahweh has done this?
10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all flesh of man.
In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.
11 Doth not the ear try words, as the palate tasteth food?
Does not the ear test words just as the palate tastes its food?
12 With the aged is wisdom, and in length of days understanding.
With aged men is wisdom; in length of days is understanding.
13 With him is wisdom and might; he hath counsel and understanding.
With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding.
14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it is not built again; he shutteth up a man, and there is no opening.
See, he breaks down, and it cannot be built again; if he imprisons someone, there can be no release.
15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; and he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
See, if he withholds the waters, they dry up; and if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
16 With him is strength and effectual knowledge; the deceived and the deceiver are his.
With him are strength and wisdom; people who are deceived and the deceiver are both in his power.
17 He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and judges maketh he fools;
He leads counselors away barefoot in sorrow; he turns judges into fools.
18 He weakeneth the government of kings, and bindeth their loins with a fetter;
He takes off the chain of authority from kings; he wraps a cloth about their waists.
19 He leadeth priests away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty;
He leads priests away barefoot in sorrow and overthrows mighty people.
20 He depriveth of speech the trusty, and taketh away the judgment of the elders;
He removes the speech of those who had been trusted and takes away the understanding of the elders.
21 He poureth contempt upon nobles, and slackeneth the girdle of the mighty;
He pours contempt upon princes and unfastens the belt of strong people.
22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out into light the shadow of death;
He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light.
23 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; he spreadeth out the nations, and bringeth them in;
He makes nations strong, and he also destroys them; He enlarges nations, and he also leads them along as prisoners.
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 understanding from the leaders of the people of the earth; he causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no path.
25 They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunkard.
They grope in the dark without light; he makes them stagger like a drunk man.
