< Job 12 >

1 Then Job answered,
וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
2 "No doubt, but you are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
אׇמְנָם כִּי אַתֶּם־עָם וְעִמָּכֶם תָּמוּת חׇכְמָֽה׃
3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who doesn't know such things as these?
גַּם־לִי לֵבָב ׀ כְּֽמוֹכֶם לֹא־נֹפֵל אָנֹכִי מִכֶּם וְאֶת־מִי־אֵין כְּמוֹ־אֵֽלֶּה׃
4 I am like one who is a joke to his neighbor, I, who called on God, and he answered. The just, the blameless man is a joke.
שְׂחֹק לְרֵעֵהוּ ׀ אֶהְיֶה קֹרֵא לֶאֱלוֹהַּ וַֽיַּעֲנֵהוּ שְׂחוֹק צַדִּיק תָּמִֽים׃
5 In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune. It is ready for them whose foot slips.
לַפִּיד בּוּז לְעַשְׁתּוּת שַׁאֲנָן נָכוֹן לְמוֹעֲדֵי רָֽגֶל׃
6 The tents of robbers prosper. Those who provoke God are secure, who carry their god in their hands.
יִשְׁלָיוּ אֹהָלִים ׀ לְשֹׁדְדִים וּֽבַטֻּחוֹת לְמַרְגִּיזֵי אֵל לַאֲשֶׁר הֵבִיא אֱלוֹהַּ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃
7 "But ask the animals, now, and they shall teach you; the birds of the sky, and they shall tell you.
וְֽאוּלָם שְׁאַל־נָא בְהֵמוֹת וְתֹרֶךָּ וְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וְיַגֶּד־לָֽךְ׃
8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach you. The fish of the sea shall declare to you.
אוֹ שִׂיחַ לָאָרֶץ וְתֹרֶךָּ וִיסַפְּרוּ לְךָ דְּגֵי הַיָּֽם׃
9 Who doesn't know that in all these, the hand of the LORD has done this,
מִי לֹא־יָדַע בְּכׇל־אֵלֶּה כִּי יַד־יְהֹוָה עָשְׂתָה זֹּֽאת׃
10 in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?
אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדוֹ נֶפֶשׁ כׇּל־חָי וְרוּחַ כׇּל־בְּשַׂר־אִֽישׁ׃
11 Doesn't the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?
הֲלֹא־אֹזֶן מִלִּין תִּבְחָן וְחֵךְ אֹכֶל יִטְעַם־לֽוֹ׃
12 With aged men is wisdom, in length of days understanding.
בִּישִׁישִׁים חׇכְמָה וְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים תְּבוּנָֽה׃
13 "With him is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.
עִמּוֹ חׇכְמָה וּגְבוּרָה לוֹ עֵצָה וּתְבוּנָֽה׃
14 Look, he breaks down, and it can't be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
הֵן יַהֲרוֹס וְלֹא יִבָּנֶה יִסְגֹּר עַל־אִישׁ וְלֹא יִפָּתֵֽחַ׃
15 Look, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.
הֵן יַעְצֹר בַּמַּיִם וְיִבָשׁוּ וִישַׁלְּחֵם וְיַהַפְכוּ אָֽרֶץ׃
16 With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.
עִמּוֹ עֹז וְתוּשִׁיָּה לוֹ שֹׁגֵג וּמַשְׁגֶּֽה׃
17 He leads counselors away stripped. He makes judges fools.
מוֹלִיךְ יוֹעֲצִים שׁוֹלָל וְֽשֹׁפְטִים יְהוֹלֵֽל׃
18 He loosens the bond of kings. He binds their waist with a belt.
מוּסַר מְלָכִים פִּתֵּחַ וַיֶּאְסֹר אֵזוֹר בְּמׇתְנֵיהֶֽם׃
19 He leads cohanim away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.
מוֹלִיךְ כֹּהֲנִים שׁוֹלָל וְאֵתָנִים יְסַלֵּֽף׃
20 He removes the speech of those who are trusted, and takes away the understanding of the elders.
מֵסִיר שָׂפָה לְנֶאֱמָנִים וְטַעַם זְקֵנִים יִקָּֽח׃
21 He pours contempt on princes, and loosens the belt of the strong.
שׁוֹפֵךְ בּוּז עַל־נְדִיבִים וּמְזִיחַ אֲפִיקִים רִפָּֽה׃
22 He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.
מְגַלֶּה עֲמֻקוֹת מִנִּי־חֹשֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵא לָאוֹר צַלְמָֽוֶת׃
23 He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.
מַשְׂגִּיא לַגּוֹיִם וַֽיְאַבְּדֵם שֹׁטֵחַ לַגּוֹיִם וַיַּנְחֵֽם׃
24 He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
מֵסִיר לֵב רָאשֵׁי עַם־הָאָרֶץ וַיַּתְעֵם בְּתֹהוּ לֹא־דָֽרֶךְ׃
25 They grope in the dark without light. He makes them stagger like a drunken man.
יְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אוֹר וַיַּתְעֵם כַּשִּׁכּֽוֹר׃

< Job 12 >