Job 12
1 Then responded Job, and said: —
Then Job answered:
2 Of a truth, ye, are the people, and, with you, wisdom, will die.
“Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die!
3 I also, have a mind like you, I, fall not short, of you, But who hath not such things as these?
But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?
4 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!
I am a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God, and He answered. The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.
5 For ruin, there is contempt, in the thought of the man at ease, —ready, for such as are of faltering foot!
The one at ease scorns misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
6 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.
The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure— those who carry their god in their hands.
7 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;
But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
8 Or address the earth, and it will teach thee, and the fishes of the sea, will recount it to thee:
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you.
9 Who knoweth not, among all these, that, the hand of Yahweh, hath done this?
Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?
10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all the flesh of men.
The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.
11 Doth not, the ear, try, words? even as, the palate, tasteth for itself, food?
Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes its food?
12 In the Ancient, is wisdom, and [in] Length of Days, understanding:
Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.
13 With Him, are wisdom and strength, to Him, pertain counsel and understanding.
Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.
14 Lo! He pulleth down, and it cannot be built, He closeth up over a man, and it cannot be opened:
What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
15 Lo! He holdeth back the waters, and they dry up, or sendeth them out, and they transform the earth:
If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.
16 With Him, is strength and effective wisdom, to Him, belong he that erreth, and he that causeth to err.
True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.
17 Who leadeth away counsellors [as] a spoil, and, judges, He befooleth:
He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.
18 The fetters of kings, He looseth, or hath bound a slave’s waistcloth about their loins:
He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists.
19 Who leadeth away priests [as] a spoil, and, men firmly seated, He overturneth:
He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.
20 Setting aside the speech of the trusty, and, the discernment of elders, He taketh away:
He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.
21 Pouring contempt upon nobles, and, the girdle of the mighty, hath He loosed:
He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.
22 Laying open deep things, out of darkness, and bringing out to light, the death-shade:
He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.
23 Who giveth greatness to nations, or destroyeth them, Who spreadeth out nations, or leadeth them into exile:
He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.
24 Who taketh away the sense of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and hath caused them to wander in a pathless waste:
He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
25 They grope about in the dark, having no light, and He hath made them to reel, like a drunken man.
They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.
