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 you are the people; 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. Indeed, 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 something for my neighbor to laugh at— I, one who called on God and who was answered by him! I, a just and blameless man—I am now something to laugh at.
5 For ruin, there is contempt, in the thought of the man at ease, —ready, for such as are of faltering foot!
In the thought of someone who is at ease, there is contempt for misfortune; he thinks in a way that brings more misfortune to those whose foot is 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 prosper, and those who provoke God feel secure; their own hands are their gods.
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 now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; ask the birds of the heavens, 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; the fish of the sea will declare to you.
9 Who knoweth not, among all these, that, the hand of Yahweh, hath done this?
Which animal among all these does not know that the hand of Yahweh has done this?
10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all the flesh of men.
In his hand is the life 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?
Does not the ear test words just as the palate tastes its food?
12 In the Ancient, is wisdom, and [in] Length of Days, understanding:
With aged men is wisdom; in length of days is understanding.
13 With Him, are wisdom and strength, to Him, pertain counsel and understanding.
With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding.
14 Lo! He pulleth down, and it cannot be built, He closeth up over a man, and it cannot be opened:
See, he breaks down, and it cannot be built again; if he imprisons someone, there can be no release.
15 Lo! He holdeth back the waters, and they dry up, or sendeth them out, and they transform the earth:
See, if he withholds the waters, they dry up; and if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
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; people who are deceived and the deceiver are both in his power.
17 Who leadeth away counsellors [as] a spoil, and, judges, He befooleth:
He leads counselors away barefoot in sorrow; he turns judges into fools.
18 The fetters of kings, He looseth, or hath bound a slave’s waistcloth about their loins:
He takes off the chain of authority from kings; he wraps a cloth about their waists.
19 Who leadeth away priests [as] a spoil, and, men firmly seated, He overturneth:
He leads priests away barefoot in sorrow and overthrows mighty people.
20 Setting aside the speech of the trusty, and, the discernment of elders, He taketh away:
He removes the speech of those who had been trusted and takes away the understanding of the elders.
21 Pouring contempt upon nobles, and, the girdle of the mighty, hath He loosed:
He pours contempt upon princes and unfastens the belt of strong people.
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 the light.
23 Who giveth greatness to nations, or destroyeth them, Who spreadeth out nations, or leadeth them into exile:
He makes nations strong, and he also destroys them; He enlarges nations, and he also leads them along as prisoners.
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 takes away understanding from the leaders of the people of the earth; he causes them to wander in a wilderness where there 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 makes them stagger like a drunk man.
