Job 12
1 Then Iob answered, and sayde,
Then responded Job, and said: —
2 In deede because that ye are the people onely, wisedome must dye with you.
Of a truth, ye, are the people, and, with you, wisdom, will die.
3 But I haue vnderstanding aswel as you, and am not inferior vnto you: yea, who knoweth not such things?
I also, have a mind like you, I, fall not short, of you, But who hath not such things as these?
4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth vpon God, and he heareth him: the iust and the vpright is laughed to scorne.
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 Hee that is readie to fall, is as a lampe despised in the opinion of the riche.
For ruin, there is contempt, in the thought of the man at ease, —ready, for such as are of faltering foot!
6 The tabernacles of robbers doe prosper, and they are in safetie, that prouoke God, whome God hath enriched with his hand.
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 Aske now the beasts, and they shall teach thee, and the foules of the heauen, 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 speake to the earth, and it shall shewe thee: or the fishes of the sea, and they shall declare vnto thee.
Or address the earth, and it will teach thee, and the fishes of the sea, will recount it to thee:
9 Who is ignorant of all these, but that the hande of the Lord hath made these?
Who knoweth not, among all these, that, the hand of Yahweh, hath done this?
10 In whose hande is the soule of euery liuing thing, and the breath of all mankinde.
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all the flesh of men.
11 Doeth not the eares discerne the words? and the mouth taste meate for it selfe?
Doth not, the ear, try, words? even as, the palate, tasteth for itself, food?
12 Among the ancient is wisedome, and in the length of dayes is vnderstanding.
In the Ancient, is wisdom, and [in] Length of Days, understanding:
13 With him is wisedome and strength: he hath counsell and vnderstanding.
With Him, are wisdom and strength, to Him, pertain counsel and understanding.
14 Beholde, he will breake downe, and it can not be built: he shutteth a man vp, and he can not be loosed.
Lo! He pulleth down, and it cannot be built, He closeth up over a man, and it cannot be opened:
15 Beholde, he withholdeth the waters, and they drie vp: but when he sendeth them out, they destroy 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 wisedome: hee that is deceiued, and that deceiueth, are his.
With Him, is strength and effective wisdom, to Him, belong he that erreth, and he that causeth to err.
17 He causeth the counsellers to goe as spoyled, and maketh the iudges fooles.
Who leadeth away counsellors [as] a spoil, and, judges, He befooleth:
18 He looseth the collar of Kings, and girdeth their loynes with a girdle.
The fetters of kings, He looseth, or hath bound a slave’s waistcloth about their loins:
19 He leadeth away the princes as a pray, and ouerthroweth the mightie.
Who leadeth away priests [as] a spoil, and, men firmly seated, He overturneth:
20 He taketh away the speach from the faithfull counsellers, and taketh away the iudgement of the ancient.
Setting aside the speech of the trusty, and, the discernment of elders, He taketh away:
21 He powreth contempt vpon princes, and maketh the strength of the mightie weake.
Pouring contempt upon nobles, and, the girdle of the mighty, hath He loosed:
22 He discouereth the deepe places from their darkenesse, and bringeth foorth the shadowe of death to light.
Laying open deep things, out of darkness, and bringing out to light, the death-shade:
23 He increaseth the people, and destroyeth them: he inlargeth the nations, and bringeth them in againe.
Who giveth greatness to nations, or destroyeth them, Who spreadeth out nations, or leadeth them into exile:
24 He taketh away the heartes of the that are the chiefe ouer the people of the earth, and maketh them to wander in the wildernes out of the 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 grope in the darke without light: and he maketh the to stagger like a drunken man.
They grope about in the dark, having no light, and He hath made them to reel, like a drunken man.
