Job 12

1 And Job answered and said,

And Job answereth and saith: —

2 No doubt but all of you 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 knows 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 mocked of his neighbour, who calls upon God, and he answers him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.

A laughter to his friend I am: 'He calleth to God, and He answereth him,' A laughter [is] the perfect righteous one.

5 He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

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

6 The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God brings abundantly.

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 you; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell you:

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 you: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto you.

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

9 Who knows not in all these that the hand of the LORD has 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 Does not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his food?

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

12 With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.

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

13 With him is wisdom and strength, he has counsel and understanding.

With Him [are] wisdom and might, To him [are] counsel and understanding.

14 Behold, he breaks down, and it cannot be built again: he shuts 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 withholds the waters, and they dry up: also he sends 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 wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.

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

17 He leads counsellors away spoiled, and makes the judges fools.

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

18 He looses the bond of kings, and girds their loins with a girdle.

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

19 He leads princes away spoiled, and overthrows the mighty.

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

20 He removes away the speech of the trusty, and takes away the understanding of the aged.

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

21 He pours contempt upon princes, and weakens the strength of the mighty.

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

22 He discovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.

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

23 He increases the nations, and destroys them: he enlarges the nations, and straitens them again.

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

24 He takes away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causes 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 makes them to stagger like a drunken man.

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