Job 12

1 Then Job answered and said:

And Job answereth and saith: —

2 No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

Truly — ye [are] the people, And with you doth wisdom 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 heart like you, I am not fallen more than you, And with whom is there not like 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 laughter to his friend I am: 'He calleth to God, and He answereth him,' A laughter [is] the perfect righteous one.

5 A contemptible brand in the thought of him that is at ease, a thing ready for them whose foot slippeth.

A torch — despised in the thoughts of the secure Is prepared for those sliding with the feet.

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 of spoilers, And those provoking God have confidence, He into whose hand God hath brought.

7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee;

And yet, ask, I pray thee, [One of] the beasts, and it doth shew thee, And a fowl of the heavens, And it doth declare to thee.

8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee;

Or talk to the earth, and it sheweth thee, And fishes of the sea recount to thee:

9 Who knoweth not among all these, that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?

'Who hath not known in all these, That the hand of Jehovah 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 breath of every living thing, And the spirit of all flesh of man.'

11 Doth not the ear try words, even as the palate tasteth its food?

Doth not the ear try words? And the palate taste food for itself?

12 Is wisdom with aged men, and understanding in length of days? —

With the very aged [is] wisdom, And [with] length of days understanding.

13 With Him is wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding.

With Him [are] wisdom and might, To him [are] 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 breaketh down, and it is not built up, He shutteth against a man, And it is not opened.

15 Behold, He withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; also He sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

Lo, He keepeth in the waters, and they are dried up, And he sendeth them forth, And they overturn the land.

16 With Him is strength and sound wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are His.

With Him [are] strength and wisdom, His the deceived and deceiver.

17 He leadeth counsellors away stripped, and judges maketh He fools.

Causing counsellors to go away a spoil, And judges He maketh foolish.

18 He looseth the bond of kings, and bindeth their loins with a girdle.

The bands of kings He hath opened, And He bindeth a girdle on their loins.

19 He leadeth priests away stripped, and overthroweth the mighty.

Causing ministers to go away a spoil And strong ones He overthroweth.

20 He removeth the speech of men of trust, and taketh away the sense of the elders.

Turning aside the lip of the stedfast, And the reason of the aged He taketh away.

21 He poureth contempt upon princes, and looseth the belt of the strong.

Pouring contempt upon princes, And the girdle of the mighty He made feeble.

22 He uncovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

Removing deep things out of darkness, And He bringeth out to light death-shade.

23 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; He enlargeth the nations, and leadeth them away.

Magnifying the nations, and He destroyeth them, Spreading out the nations, and He quieteth them.

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.

Turning aside the heart Of the heads of the people of the land, And he causeth them to wander In vacancy — no way!

25 They grope in the dark without light, and He maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.

They feel darkness, and not light, He causeth them to wander as a drunkard.