איוב 12

1 וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Job answered and said,

2 אָמְנָם כִּי אַתֶּם־עָם וְעִמָּכֶם תָּמוּת חָכְמָֽה׃

No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

3 גַּם־לִי לֵבָב ׀ כְּֽמוֹכֶם לֹא־נֹפֵל אָנֹכִי מִכֶּם וְאֶת־מִי־אֵין כְּמוֹ־אֵֽלֶּה׃

But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who does not know such things as these?

4 שְׂחֹק לְרֵעֵהוּ ׀ אֶֽהְיֶה קֹרֵא לֶאֱלוֹהַּ וַֽיַּעֲנֵהוּ שְׂחוֹק צַדִּיק תָּמִֽים׃

I am as a man who is a laughing-stock to his neighbor. I who called upon God, and he answered. The just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock.

5 לַפִּיד בּוּז לְעַשְׁתּוּת שַׁאֲנָן נָכוֹן לְמוֹעֲדֵי רָֽגֶל׃

In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for calamity. It is ready for those whose foot slips.

6 יִשְׁלָיוּ אֹֽהָלִים ׀ לְשֹׁדְדִים וּֽבַטֻּחוֹת לְמַרְגִּיזֵי אֵל לַאֲשֶׁר הֵבִיא אֱלוֹהַּ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃

The tents of robbers prosper, and those who provoke God are secure. Into whose hand God brings abundantly.

7 וְֽאוּלָם שְׁאַל־נָא בְהֵמוֹת וְתֹרֶךָּ וְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וְיַגֶּד־לָֽךְ׃

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee, and the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee.

8 אוֹ שִׂיחַ לָאָרֶץ וְתֹרֶךָּ וִֽיסַפְּרוּ לְךָ דְּגֵי הַיָּֽם׃

Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee, and the fishes of the sea shall declare to thee.

9 מִי לֹא־יָדַע בְּכָל־אֵלֶּה כִּי יַד־יְהוָה עָשְׂתָה זֹּֽאת׃

Who does not know in all these, that the hand of Jehovah has wrought this,

10 אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדוֹ נֶפֶשׁ כָּל־חָי וְרוּחַ כָּל־בְּשַׂר־אִֽישׁ׃

in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?

11 הֲלֹא־אֹזֶן מִלִּין תִּבְחָן וְחֵךְ אֹכֶל יִטְעַם־לֽוֹ׃

Does not the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?

12 בִּֽישִׁישִׁים חָכְמָה וְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים תְּבוּנָֽה׃

With aged men is wisdom, and in length of days understanding.

13 עִמּוֹ חָכְמָה וּגְבוּרָה לוֹ עֵצָה וּתְבוּנָֽה׃

With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.

14 הֵן יַהֲרוֹס וְלֹא יִבָּנֶה יִסְגֹּר עַל־אִישׁ וְלֹא יִפָּתֵֽחַ׃

Behold, he breaks down, and it cannot be built again. He shuts up a man, and there can be no opening.

15 הֵן יַעְצֹר בַּמַּיִם וְיִבָשׁוּ וִֽישַׁלְּחֵם וְיַהַפְכוּ אָֽרֶץ׃

Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.

16 עִמּוֹ עֹז וְתֽוּשִׁיָּה לוֹ שֹׁגֵג וּמַשְׁגֶּֽה׃

With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.

17 מוֹלִיךְ יוֹעֲצִים שׁוֹלָל וְֽשֹׁפְטִים יְהוֹלֵֽל׃

He leads counselors away stripped, and he makes judges fools.

18 מוּסַר מְלָכִים פִּתֵּחַ וַיֶּאְסֹר אֵזוֹר בְּמָתְנֵיהֶֽם׃

He loosens the bond of kings, and he binds their loins with a belt.

19 מוֹלִיךְ כֹּהֲנִים שׁוֹלָל וְאֵֽתָנִים יְסַלֵּֽף׃

He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.

20 מֵסִיר שָׂפָה לְנֶאֱמָנִים וְטַעַם זְקֵנִים יִקָּֽח׃

He removes the speech of the trustworthy, and takes away the understanding of the elders.

21 שׁוֹפֵךְ בּוּז עַל־נְדִיבִים וּמְזִיחַ אֲפִיקִים רִפָּֽה׃

He pours contempt upon rulers, and weakens the strength of the strong.

22 מְגַלֶּה עֲמֻקוֹת מִנִּי־חֹשֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵא לָאוֹר צַלְמָֽוֶת׃

He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.

23 מַשְׂגִּיא לַגּוֹיִם וַֽיְאַבְּדֵם שֹׁטֵחַ לַגּוֹיִם וַיַּנְחֵֽם׃

He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.

24 מֵסִיר לֵב רָאשֵׁי עַם־הָאָרֶץ וַיַּתְעֵם בְּתֹהוּ לֹא־דָֽרֶךְ׃

He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

25 יְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אוֹר וַיַּתְעֵם כַּשִּׁכּֽוֹר׃

They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them to stagger like a drunken man.