Job 12
1 Then answered Job, and said,
Then Job answered and said:
2 Truly ye are indeed the [right kind of] people, and with you wisdom must die out.
No doubt ye are the whole people! And wisdom will die with you!
3 I also have sense like you; I do not fall short compared with you: and who possesseth not such things as these?
But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
4 I am as one laughed at by his friend, who calleth upon God, while he answered him: [yea, ] a laughing-stock though righteous and innocent.
I am become a laughing-stock to my friend, —I who call upon God, that he would answer me! The innocent and upright man is held in derision.
5 To the unfortunate there is given contempt— according to the thoughts of him that is at ease— prepared [also] for those whose foot slippeth.
To calamity belongeth contempt in the mind of one at ease; It is ready for them that slip with the feet.
6 Prosperous are the tents of robbers, and security is given to those that provoke God. to him who carrieth his god in his hand.
The tents of robbers are in prosperity, And they who provoke God are secure, Who carry their God in their hand.
7 Yet, do only ask of the beasts, and they will instruct thee; and the fowls of the heavens, and they will tell it thee;
For ask now the beasts, and they will teach thee; Or the fowls of the air, and they will tell thee;
8 Or speak to the earth, and she will instruct thee; and the fishes of the sea will inform thee
Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct thee; And the fishes of the sea will declare unto thee.
9 Who knoweth not through all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?
Who among all these doth not know That the hand of Jehovah doeth these things?
10 [He] in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all the bodies of men?
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind.
11 Doth not the ear try words, as the palate tasteth food for itself?
Doth not the ear prove words, As the mouth tasteth meat?
12 So It with the ancients wisdom, and with [those of] length of days understanding,
With the aged is wisdom, And with length of days is understanding.
13 That with him are wisdom and strength, his are counsel and understanding.
With Him are wisdom and strength; With Him counsel and understanding.
14 Behold, he pulleth down, and there can be no rebuilding: he locketh [the prison] upon a man, and there can be no opening,
Lo! he pulleth down, and it shall not be rebuilt; He bindeth a man, and he shall not be set loose.
15 Behold, he restraineth the waters, and they dry up; or he suffereth them to flow, and they overturn the earth.
Lo! he withholdeth the waters, and they are dried up; He sendeth them forth, and they lay waste the earth.
16 With him are strength and counsel: his are the deceived and the deceiver.
With him are strength and wisdom; The deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leadeth counsellors away bereft of sense, and maketh the judges fools.
He leadeth counsellors away captive, And judges he maketh fools.
18 He looseth the bond of kings, and bindeth a girdle around their loins.
He looseth the authority of kings, And bindeth their loins with a cord.
19 He leadeth priests away bereft of sense, and the powerful he causeth to walk on crooked paths.
He leadeth priests away captive, And overthroweth the mighty.
20 He removeth the speech from trusty speakers, and taketh away the intelligence of the aged.
He removeth speech from the trusty, And taketh away judgment from the elders.
21 He poureth contempt upon princes, and the belt of the mighty be looseneth.
He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the girdle of the mighty.
22 He layeth open deep things from the midst of darkness, and bringeth out unto light the shadow of death.
He revealeth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth the shadow of death to light.
23 He permitteth the nations to become great, and destroyeth them: he spreadeth out the nations, and leadeth them away.
He exalteth nations, and destroyeth them; He enlargeth nations, and leadeth them captive.
24 He taketh away the sense of the chiefs of the people of the land, and causeth them to wander astray in a wilderness when there is no way.
He taketh away the understanding of the great men of the land, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness, where is no path;
25 They grope in the dark without light, and he causeth them to wander astray like a drunken man.
They grope in the dark without light; He maketh them stagger like a drunken man.
