Job 12
1 Then Job answered,
Then answered Job, and said,
2 "No doubt, but you are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
Truly ye are indeed the [right kind of] people, and with you wisdom must die out.
3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who doesn't know such things as these?
I also have sense like you; I do not fall short compared with you: and who possesseth not such things as these?
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.
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.
5 In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune. It is ready for them whose foot slips.
To the unfortunate there is given contempt— according to the thoughts of him that is at ease— prepared [also] for those whose foot slippeth.
6 The tents of robbers prosper. Those who provoke God are secure, who carry their god in their hands.
Prosperous are the tents of robbers, and security is given to those that provoke God. to him who carrieth his god in his hand.
7 "But ask the animals, now, and they shall teach you; the birds of the sky, and they shall tell you.
Yet, do only ask of the beasts, and they will instruct thee; and the fowls of the heavens, and they will tell it thee;
8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach you. The fish of the sea shall declare to you.
Or speak to the earth, and she will instruct thee; and the fishes of the sea will inform thee
9 Who doesn't know that in all these, the hand of YHWH has done this,
Who knoweth not through all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?
10 in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all humankind?
[He] in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all the bodies of men?
11 Doesn't the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?
Doth not the ear try words, as the palate tasteth food for itself?
12 With aged men is wisdom, in length of days understanding.
So It with the ancients wisdom, and with [those of] length of days understanding,
13 "With him is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.
That with him are wisdom and strength, his are counsel and understanding.
14 Look, he breaks down, and it can't be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
Behold, he pulleth down, and there can be no rebuilding: he locketh [the prison] upon a man, and there can be no opening,
15 Look, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.
Behold, he restraineth the waters, and they dry up; or he suffereth them to flow, and they overturn the earth.
16 With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.
With him are strength and counsel: his are the deceived and the deceiver.
17 He leads counselors away stripped. He makes judges fools.
He leadeth counsellors away bereft of sense, and maketh the judges fools.
18 He loosens the bond of kings. He binds their waist with a belt.
He looseth the bond of kings, and bindeth a girdle around their loins.
19 He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.
He leadeth priests away bereft of sense, and the powerful he causeth to walk on crooked paths.
20 He removes the speech of those who are trusted, and takes away the understanding of the elders.
He removeth the speech from trusty speakers, and taketh away the intelligence of the aged.
21 He pours contempt on princes, and loosens the belt of the strong.
He poureth contempt upon princes, and the belt of the mighty be looseneth.
22 He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.
He layeth open deep things from the midst of darkness, and bringeth out unto light the shadow of death.
23 He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.
He permitteth the nations to become great, and destroyeth them: he spreadeth out the nations, and leadeth them away.
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.
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.
25 They grope in the dark without light. He makes them stagger like a drunken man.
They grope in the dark without light, and he causeth them to wander astray like a drunken man.
