Job 12
1 Then responded Job, and said: —
Then Job answered and said:
2 Of a truth, ye, are the people, and, with you, wisdom, will die.
No doubt ye are the whole people! And wisdom will die with you!
3 I also, have a mind like you, I, fall not short, of you, But who hath 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 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 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 For ruin, there is contempt, in the thought of the man at ease, —ready, for such as are of faltering foot!
To calamity belongeth contempt in the mind of one at ease; It is ready for them that slip with the feet.
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 in prosperity, And they who provoke God are secure, Who carry their God in their hand.
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;
For ask now the beasts, and they will teach thee; Or the fowls of the air, and they will tell thee;
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 instruct thee; And the fishes of the sea will declare unto thee.
9 Who knoweth not, among all these, that, the hand of Yahweh, hath done this?
Who among all these doth not know That the hand of Jehovah doeth these things?
10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all the flesh 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? even as, the palate, tasteth for itself, food?
Doth not the ear prove words, As the mouth tasteth meat?
12 In the Ancient, is wisdom, and [in] Length of Days, understanding:
With the aged is wisdom, And with length of days is understanding.
13 With Him, are wisdom and strength, to Him, pertain counsel and understanding.
With Him are wisdom and strength; With Him counsel and understanding.
14 Lo! He pulleth down, and it cannot be built, He closeth up over a man, and it cannot be opened:
Lo! he pulleth down, and it shall not be rebuilt; He bindeth a man, and he shall not be set loose.
15 Lo! He holdeth back the waters, and they dry up, or sendeth them out, and they transform 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, is strength and effective wisdom, to Him, belong he that erreth, and he that causeth to err.
With him are strength and wisdom; The deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 Who leadeth away counsellors [as] a spoil, and, judges, He befooleth:
He leadeth counsellors away captive, And judges he maketh fools.
18 The fetters of kings, He looseth, or hath bound a slave’s waistcloth about their loins:
He looseth the authority of kings, And bindeth their loins with a cord.
19 Who leadeth away priests [as] a spoil, and, men firmly seated, He overturneth:
He leadeth priests away captive, And overthroweth the mighty.
20 Setting aside the speech of the trusty, and, the discernment of elders, He taketh away:
He removeth speech from the trusty, And taketh away judgment from the elders.
21 Pouring contempt upon nobles, and, the girdle of the mighty, hath He loosed:
He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the girdle of the mighty.
22 Laying open deep things, out of darkness, and bringing out to light, the death-shade:
He revealeth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth the shadow of death to light.
23 Who giveth greatness to nations, or destroyeth them, Who spreadeth out nations, or leadeth them into exile:
He exalteth nations, and destroyeth them; He enlargeth nations, and leadeth them captive.
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 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 about in the dark, having no light, and He hath made them to reel, like a drunken man.
They grope in the dark without light; He maketh them stagger like a drunken man.
