Job 12
1 Sotheli Joob answeride, and seide,
Then Job answered:
2 Therfor ben ye men aloone, that wisdom dwelle with you?
“Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die!
3 And to me is an herte, as and to you, and Y am not lowere than ye; for who knowith not these thingis, whiche ye knowen?
But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?
4 He that is scorned of his frend, as Y am, schal inwardli clepe God, and God schal here hym; for the symplenesse of a iust man is scorned.
I am a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God, and He answered. The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.
5 A laumpe is dispisid at the thouytis of riche men, and the laumpe is maad redi to a tyme ordeyned.
The one at ease scorns misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
6 The tabernaclis of robberis ben plenteuouse, `ether ful of goodis; and boldli thei terren God to wraththe, whanne he hath youe alle thingis in to her hondis.
The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure— those who carry their god in their hands.
7 No wondur, ax thou beestis, and tho schulen teche thee; and axe thou volatilis of the eir, and tho schulen schewe to thee.
But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
8 Speke thou to the erthe, and it schal answere thee; and the fischis of the see schulen telle tho thingis.
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you.
9 Who knowith not that the hond of the Lord made alle these thingis?
Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?
10 In whos hond the soule is of ech lyuynge thing, and the spirit, `that is, resonable soule, of ech fleisch of man.
The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.
11 Whether the eere demeth not wordis, and the chekis of the etere demen sauour?
Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes its food?
12 Wisdom is in elde men, and prudence is in myche tyme.
Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.
13 Wisdom and strengthe is at God; he hath counsel and vndurstondyng.
Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.
14 If he distrieth, no man is that bildith; if he schittith in a man, `noon is that openith.
What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
15 If he holdith togidere watris, alle thingis schulen be maad drie; if he sendith out tho watris, tho schulen distrie the erthe.
If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.
16 Strengthe and wisdom is at God; he knowith bothe hym that disseyueth and hym that is disseyued.
True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.
17 And he bryngith conselours in to a fonned eende, and iugis in to wondryng, ethir astonying.
He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.
18 He vnbindith the girdil of kyngis, and girdith her reynes with a coorde.
He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists.
19 He ledith her prestis with out glorie, and he disseyueth the principal men, `ethir counselours;
He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.
20 and he chaungith the lippis of sothefast men, and takith awei the doctrine of elde men.
He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.
21 He schedith out dispisyng on princes, and releeueth hem, that weren oppressid.
He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.
22 Which schewith depe thingis fro derknessis; and bryngith forth in to liyt the schadewe of deeth.
He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.
23 Which multiplieth folkis, and leesith hem, and restorith hem destried in to the hool.
He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.
24 Which chaungith the herte of princes of the puple of erthe; and disseyueth hem, that thei go in veyn out of the weie.
He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
25 Thei schulen grope, as in derknessis, and not in liyt; and he schal make hem to erre as drunken men.
They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.
