< Job 12 >

1 And Job answereth and saith: —
Then Iob answered, and sayde,
2 Truly — ye [are] the people, And with you doth wisdom die.
In deede because that ye are the people onely, wisedome must dye with you.
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 haue vnderstanding aswel as you, and am not inferior vnto you: yea, who knoweth not such things?
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 as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth vpon God, and he heareth him: the iust and the vpright is laughed to scorne.
5 A torch — despised in the thoughts of the secure Is prepared for those sliding with the feet.
Hee that is readie to fall, is as a lampe despised in the opinion of the riche.
6 At peace are the tents of spoilers, And those provoking God have confidence, He into whose hand God hath brought.
The tabernacles of robbers doe prosper, and they are in safetie, that prouoke God, whome God hath enriched with his hand.
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.
Aske now the beasts, and they shall teach thee, and the foules of the heauen, and they shall tell thee:
8 Or talk to the earth, and it sheweth thee, And fishes of the sea recount to thee:
Or speake to the earth, and it shall shewe thee: or the fishes of the sea, and they shall declare vnto thee.
9 'Who hath not known in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath done this?
Who is ignorant of all these, but that the hande of the Lord hath made these?
10 In whose hand [is] the breath of every living thing, And the spirit of all flesh of man.'
In whose hande is the soule of euery liuing thing, and the breath of all mankinde.
11 Doth not the ear try words? And the palate taste food for itself?
Doeth not the eares discerne the words? and the mouth taste meate for it selfe?
12 With the very aged [is] wisdom, And [with] length of days understanding.
Among the ancient is wisedome, and in the length of dayes is vnderstanding.
13 With Him [are] wisdom and might, To him [are] counsel and understanding.
With him is wisedome and strength: he hath counsell and vnderstanding.
14 Lo, He breaketh down, and it is not built up, He shutteth against a man, And it is not opened.
Beholde, he will breake downe, and it can not be built: he shutteth a man vp, and he can not be loosed.
15 Lo, He keepeth in the waters, and they are dried up, And he sendeth them forth, And they overturn the land.
Beholde, he withholdeth the waters, and they drie vp: but when he sendeth them out, they destroy the earth.
16 With Him [are] strength and wisdom, His the deceived and deceiver.
With him is strength and wisedome: hee that is deceiued, and that deceiueth, are his.
17 Causing counsellors to go away a spoil, And judges He maketh foolish.
He causeth the counsellers to goe as spoyled, and maketh the iudges fooles.
18 The bands of kings He hath opened, And He bindeth a girdle on their loins.
He looseth the collar of Kings, and girdeth their loynes with a girdle.
19 Causing ministers to go away a spoil And strong ones He overthroweth.
He leadeth away the princes as a pray, and ouerthroweth the mightie.
20 Turning aside the lip of the stedfast, And the reason of the aged He taketh away.
He taketh away the speach from the faithfull counsellers, and taketh away the iudgement of the ancient.
21 Pouring contempt upon princes, And the girdle of the mighty He made feeble.
He powreth contempt vpon princes, and maketh the strength of the mightie weake.
22 Removing deep things out of darkness, And He bringeth out to light death-shade.
He discouereth the deepe places from their darkenesse, and bringeth foorth the shadowe of death to light.
23 Magnifying the nations, and He destroyeth them, Spreading out the nations, and He quieteth them.
He increaseth the people, and destroyeth them: he inlargeth the nations, and bringeth them in againe.
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 taketh away the heartes of the that are the chiefe ouer the people of the earth, and maketh them to wander in the wildernes out of the way.
25 They feel darkness, and not light, He causeth them to wander as a drunkard.
They grope in the darke without light: and he maketh the to stagger like a drunken man.

< Job 12 >