Job 12
1 Then responded Job, and said: —
Pea naʻe tali ʻe Siope, ʻo ne pehē,
2 Of a truth, ye, are the people, and, with you, wisdom, will die.
Ta ko kimoutolu pe ʻae kakai, pea ʻe mate mo kimoutolu ʻae poto.
3 I also, have a mind like you, I, fall not short, of you, But who hath not such things as these?
Ka ʻoku ai hoku loto ʻo hangē pe ko kimoutolu; ʻoku ʻikai te u siʻi hifo au kiate kimoutolu: ʻio, ko hai ʻoku ʻikai ke ne ʻilo ki he ngaahi meʻa pehē ni?
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!
ʻOku ou tatau mo ha taha ʻoku taukaea ʻe hono kaungāʻapi, ʻo pehē, ʻoku ne ui ki he ʻOtua, pea ʻoku ne talia ia: ʻoku kata manukia ʻae tonuhia mo e angatonu.
5 For ruin, there is contempt, in the thought of the man at ease, —ready, for such as are of faltering foot!
ʻO hangē ko e maama kuo fakatukutukuʻi, ʻoku pehē ʻaia ʻoku meimei hekea hono vaʻe ʻi he mahalo ʻo ia ʻoku fiemālie.
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.
ʻOku monūʻia ʻae ngaahi fale ʻoe kau kaihaʻa, pea ʻoku nofo fiemālie pē ʻakinautolu ʻoku fakahouhau ki he ʻOtua; ʻoku ʻatu lahi ʻe he ʻOtua ki honau nima.
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;
“Kae fehuʻi eni ki he fanga manu, pea te nau akoʻi koe; mo e fanga manu ʻoe ʻatā, pea te nau tala kiate koe:
8 Or address the earth, and it will teach thee, and the fishes of the sea, will recount it to thee:
Pea lea ki he fonua, pea te ne akoʻi koe: pea ʻe fakahā kiate koe ʻe he ngaahi ika ʻoe tahi.
9 Who knoweth not, among all these, that, the hand of Yahweh, hath done this?
Ko hai ʻoku ʻikai te ne ʻilo ʻi he meʻa ni kotoa pē, ko e nima ʻo Sihova kuo ne fai eni?
10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all the flesh of men.
ʻAia ʻoku ʻi hono nima ʻae moʻui ʻae meʻa moʻui fulipē, mo e mānava ʻoe kakai kotoa pē.
11 Doth not, the ear, try, words? even as, the palate, tasteth for itself, food?
ʻIkai ʻoku ʻahiʻahiʻi ʻe he telinga ʻae ngaahi lea? Pea kamata ʻe he ngutu hono kai?
12 In the Ancient, is wisdom, and [in] Length of Days, understanding:
Pea ʻoku ʻiate ia ʻoku talu mei muʻa ʻae poto; pea ko e ʻilo ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho lahi.
13 With Him, are wisdom and strength, to Him, pertain counsel and understanding.
“ʻOku ʻiate ia ʻae poto mo e mālohi, ʻoku ʻiate ia ʻae fakakaukau mo e ʻilo.
14 Lo! He pulleth down, and it cannot be built, He closeth up over a man, and it cannot be opened:
Vakai, ʻoku ne holoki hifo, pea ʻe ʻikai faʻa toe fokotuʻu ia: ʻoku ne tāpuni ki he tangata, pea ʻoku ʻikai ke faʻa matoʻo.
15 Lo! He holdeth back the waters, and they dry up, or sendeth them out, and they transform the earth:
Vakai, ʻoku ne taʻofi ki he ngaahi vai, pea matuʻu ia: ʻoku ne fekau atu foki ia, pea ʻoku fulihi ʻe ia ʻae fonua.
16 With Him, is strength and effective wisdom, to Him, belong he that erreth, and he that causeth to err.
ʻOku ʻiate ia ʻae mālohi mo e poto, ʻoku ʻoʻona ʻae kākāʻia mo ia ʻoku kākā.
17 Who leadeth away counsellors [as] a spoil, and, judges, He befooleth:
ʻOku ne taki pōpula ʻae kau fakakaukau, pea ne fakavaleʻi ʻae kau fakamaau.
18 The fetters of kings, He looseth, or hath bound a slave’s waistcloth about their loins:
Ko e haʻi ʻoe ngaahi tuʻi kuo ne vete, ka ne haʻihaʻi honau noʻotanga vala ʻaki ʻae haʻi.
19 Who leadeth away priests [as] a spoil, and, men firmly seated, He overturneth:
ʻOku ne taki pōpula ʻae ngaahi houʻeiki, pea ʻoku ne lī ki lalo ʻae mālohi.
20 Setting aside the speech of the trusty, and, the discernment of elders, He taketh away:
ʻOku ne toʻo atu ʻae lea ʻae kau poto, pea toʻo mo e ʻilo ʻae mātuʻa.
21 Pouring contempt upon nobles, and, the girdle of the mighty, hath He loosed:
ʻOku ne lilingi ʻae manukia ki he ngaahi houʻeiki, pea ne vete ʻae noʻo ʻoe mālohi.
22 Laying open deep things, out of darkness, and bringing out to light, the death-shade:
ʻOku ne fakahā ʻae ngaahi meʻa lilo mei he fakapoʻuli, pea ne ʻomi ki he maama ʻae ʻata ʻoe mate.
23 Who giveth greatness to nations, or destroyeth them, Who spreadeth out nations, or leadeth them into exile:
ʻOku ne fakatokolahi ʻakinautolu ʻoku ne fakalahi ʻae ngaahi puleʻanga, pea toe fakasiʻisiʻi ia.
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:
ʻOku ne toʻo ʻo ʻave ʻae loto ʻoe ngaahi ʻeiki ʻoe kakai ʻo māmani, ʻo ne pule ke nau ʻalu fano ʻi ha toafa taʻehahala.
25 They grope about in the dark, having no light, and He hath made them to reel, like a drunken man.
ʻOku nau tautaufā ʻi he poʻuli taʻehamaama, pea ʻoku ne pule ke nau fehēaki fano ʻo hangē ha konā.
