Job 12
1 And Job answereth and saith: —
Then Job answered:
2 Truly — ye [are] the people, And with you doth wisdom die.
“Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die!
3 I also have a heart like you, I am not fallen more than you, And with whom is there not like these?
But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?
4 A laughter to his friend I am: 'He calleth to God, and He answereth him,' A laughter [is] the perfect righteous one.
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 torch — despised in the thoughts of the secure Is prepared for those sliding with the feet.
The one at ease scorns misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
6 At peace are the tents of spoilers, And those provoking God have confidence, He into whose hand God hath brought.
The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure— those who carry their god in their hands.
7 And yet, ask, I pray thee, [One of] the beasts, and it doth shew thee, And a fowl of the heavens, And it doth declare to thee.
But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
8 Or talk to the earth, and it sheweth thee, And fishes of the sea recount to thee:
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you.
9 'Who hath not known in all these, That the hand of Jehovah 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 breath of every living thing, And the spirit of all flesh of man.'
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? And the palate taste food for itself?
Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes its food?
12 With the very aged [is] wisdom, And [with] length of days understanding.
Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.
13 With Him [are] wisdom and might, To him [are] counsel and understanding.
Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.
14 Lo, He breaketh down, and it is not built up, He shutteth against a man, And it is not opened.
What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
15 Lo, He keepeth in the waters, and they are dried up, And he sendeth them forth, And they overturn the land.
If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.
16 With Him [are] strength and wisdom, His the deceived and deceiver.
True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.
17 Causing counsellors to go away a spoil, And judges He maketh foolish.
He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.
18 The bands of kings He hath opened, And He bindeth a girdle on their loins.
He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists.
19 Causing ministers to go away a spoil And strong ones He overthroweth.
He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.
20 Turning aside the lip of the stedfast, And the reason of the aged He taketh away.
He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.
21 Pouring contempt upon princes, And the girdle of the mighty He made feeble.
He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.
22 Removing deep things out of darkness, And He bringeth out to light death-shade.
He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.
23 Magnifying the nations, and He destroyeth them, Spreading out the nations, and He quieteth them.
He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.
24 Turning aside the heart Of the heads of the people of the land, And he causeth them to wander In vacancy — no way!
He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
25 They feel darkness, and not light, He causeth them to wander as a drunkard.
They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.
