Job 12
1 And Job answers and says:
Then responded Job, and said: —
2 “Truly—you [are] the people, and wisdom dies with you.
Of a truth, ye, are the people, and, with you, wisdom, will die.
3 I also have a heart like you, I am not fallen more than you, And with whom is there not like 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 a laughter to his friend: He calls to God, and He answers him, A laughter [is] the perfect righteous one.
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 torch—despised in the thoughts of the secure Is prepared for those sliding with the feet.
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 spoilers are at peace, And those provoking God have confidence, Into whose hand God has brought.
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 And yet, now ask [one of] the beasts, And it shows you, And a bird of the heavens, And it declares to you.
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 talk to the earth, and it shows you, And fishes of the sea recount to you:
Or address the earth, and it will teach thee, and the fishes of the sea, will recount it to thee:
9 Who has not known in all these, That the hand of YHWH has done this?
Who knoweth not, among all these, that, the hand of Yahweh, hath done this?
10 In whose hand [is] the breath of every living thing, And the spirit of all flesh of man.
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all the flesh of men.
11 Does the ear not try words? And the palate taste food for itself?
Doth not, the ear, try, words? even as, the palate, tasteth for itself, food?
12 With the very aged [is] wisdom, And [with] length of days [is] understanding.
In the Ancient, is wisdom, and [in] Length of Days, understanding:
13 With Him [are] wisdom and might, To Him [are] counsel and understanding.
With Him, are wisdom and strength, to Him, pertain counsel and understanding.
14 Behold, He breaks down, and it is not built up, He shuts against a man, And it is not opened.
Lo! He pulleth down, and it cannot be built, He closeth up over a man, and it cannot be opened:
15 Behold, He keeps in the waters, and they are dried up, And He sends them forth, And they overturn the land.
Lo! He holdeth back the waters, and they dry up, or sendeth them out, and they transform the earth:
16 With Him [are] strength and wisdom, His the deceived and deceiver.
With Him, is strength and effective wisdom, to Him, belong he that erreth, and he that causeth to err.
17 Causing counselors to go away [as] a spoil, Indeed, He makes fools of judges.
Who leadeth away counsellors [as] a spoil, and, judges, He befooleth:
18 He has opened the bands of kings, And He binds a girdle on their loins.
The fetters of kings, He looseth, or hath bound a slave’s waistcloth about their loins:
19 Causing ministers to go away [as] a spoil And strong ones He overthrows.
Who leadeth away priests [as] a spoil, and, men firmly seated, He overturneth:
20 Turning aside the lip of the steadfast, And the reason of the aged He takes away.
Setting aside the speech of the trusty, and, the discernment of elders, He taketh away:
21 Pouring contempt on princes, And the girdle of the mighty He made feeble.
Pouring contempt upon nobles, and, the girdle of the mighty, hath He loosed:
22 Removing deep things out of darkness, And He brings out to light death-shade.
Laying open deep things, out of darkness, and bringing out to light, the death-shade:
23 Magnifying the nations, and He destroys them, Spreading out the nations, and He quiets them.
Who giveth greatness to nations, or destroyeth them, Who spreadeth out nations, or leadeth them into exile:
24 Turning aside the heart Of the heads of the people of the land, And He causes them to wander In vacancy—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 feel darkness, and not light, He causes them to wander as a drunkard.”
They grope about in the dark, having no light, and He hath made them to reel, like a drunken man.
