Job 12

¹Then Job answered,

²"No doubt, but you are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

³But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who doesn't know such things as these?

⁴I am like one who is a joke to his neighbor, I, who called on God, and he answered. The just, the blameless man is a joke.

⁵In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune. It is ready for them whose foot slips.

⁶The tents of robbers prosper. Those who provoke God are secure, who carry their God in their hands.

⁷"But ask the animals, now, and they shall teach you; the birds of the sky, and they shall tell you.

⁸Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach you. The fish of the sea shall declare to you.

⁹Who doesn't know that in all these, the hand of the Lord has done this,

¹⁰in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?

¹¹Doesn't the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?

¹²With aged men is wisdom, in length of days understanding.

¹³"With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.

¹⁴Behold, he breaks down, and it can't be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.

¹⁵Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.

¹⁶With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.

¹⁷He leads counselors away stripped. He makes judges fools.

¹⁸He loosens the bond of kings. He binds their waist with a belt.

¹⁹He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.

²⁰He removes the speech of those who are trusted, and takes away the understanding of the elders.

²¹He pours contempt on princes, and loosens the belt of the strong.

²²He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.

²³He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.

²⁴He 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.

²⁵They grope in the dark without light. He makes them stagger like a drunken man.

Job 12

¹And Job answered and said,

²No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

³But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

⁴I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.

⁵He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

⁶The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

⁷But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

⁸Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

⁹Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?

¹⁰In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

¹¹Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?

¹²With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.

¹³With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.

¹⁴Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.

¹⁵Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

¹⁶With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.

¹⁷He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.

¹⁸He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.

¹⁹He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.

²⁰He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.

²¹He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

²²He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

²³He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.

²⁴He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

²⁵They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.