Job 12
1 Then Job answered and said:
Then responded Job, and said: —
2 No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
Of a truth, ye, are the people, and, with you, wisdom, will die.
3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you; yea, 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 as one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbour, a man that called upon God, and He answered him; the just, the innocent man is a laughing-stock,
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 A contemptible brand in the thought of him that is at ease, a thing ready for them whose foot slippeth.
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 robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure, in whatsoever God bringeth into their 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 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, 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 among all these, that the hand of the LORD 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 breath of all mankind. —
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, even as the palate tasteth its food?
Doth not, the ear, try, words? even as, the palate, tasteth for itself, food?
12 Is wisdom with aged men, and understanding in length of days? —
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 cannot be built again; He shutteth up a man, and there can be 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; also 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 sound wisdom; 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 stripped, and judges maketh He fools.
Who leadeth away counsellors [as] a spoil, and, judges, He befooleth:
18 He looseth the bond of kings, and bindeth their loins with a girdle.
The fetters of kings, He looseth, or hath bound a slave’s waistcloth about their loins:
19 He leadeth priests away stripped, and overthroweth the mighty.
Who leadeth away priests [as] a spoil, and, men firmly seated, He overturneth:
20 He removeth the speech of men of trust, and taketh away the sense of the elders.
Setting aside the speech of the trusty, and, the discernment of elders, He taketh away:
21 He poureth contempt upon princes, and looseth the belt of the strong.
Pouring contempt upon nobles, and, the girdle of the mighty, hath He loosed:
22 He uncovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to 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 enlargeth the nations, and leadeth them away.
Who giveth greatness to nations, or destroyeth them, Who spreadeth out nations, or leadeth them into exile:
24 He taketh away the heart of the chiefs of the people of the land, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness 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 grope in the dark without light, and He maketh them 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.
