Job 12

1Then Job answered and said,

1And Job made answer and said,

1And Job answereth and saith: --

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

2No doubt you have knowledge, and wisdom will come to an end with you.

2Truly--ye <FI>are<Fi> the people, And with you doth wisdom die.

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

3But I have a mind as well as you; I am equal to you: yes, who has not knowledge of such things as these?

3I also have a heart like you, I am not fallen more than you, And with whom is there not like these?

4I am as one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbor, I who called upon God, and he answered: The just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock.

4It seems that I am to be as one who is a cause of laughing to his neighbour, one who makes his prayer to God and is answered! the upright man who has done no wrong is to be made sport of!

4A laughter to his friend I am: `He calleth to God, and He answereth him,' A laughter <FI>is<Fi> the perfect righteous one.

5In the thought of him that is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; It is ready for them whose foot slippeth.

5In the thought of him who is in comfort there is no respect for one who is in trouble; such is the fate of those whose feet are slipping.

5A torch--despised in the thoughts of the secure Is prepared for those sliding with the feet.

6The tents of robbers prosper, And they that provoke God are secure; Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

6There is wealth in the tents of those who make destruction, and those by whom God is moved to wrath are safe; even those whose god is their strength.

6At peace are the tents of spoilers, And those provoking God have confidence, He into whose hand God hath brought.

7But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee:

7But put now a question to the beasts, and get teaching from them; or to the birds of the heaven, and they will make it clear to you;

7And yet, ask, I pray thee, <FI>One of<Fi> the beasts, and it doth shew thee, And a fowl of the heavens, And it doth declare to thee.

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

8Or to the things which go flat on the earth, and they will give you wisdom; and the fishes of the sea will give you news of it.

8Or talk to the earth, and it sheweth thee, And fishes of the sea recount to thee:

9Who knoweth not in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this,

9Who does not see by all these that the hand of the Lord has done this?

9`Who hath not known in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath done this?

10In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?

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

10In whose hand <FI>is<Fi> the breath of every living thing, And the spirit of all flesh of man.'

11Doth not the ear try words, Even as the palate tasteth its food?

11Are not words tested by the ear, even as food is tasted by the mouth?

11Doth not the ear try words? And the palate taste food for itself?

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

12Old men have wisdom, and a long life gives knowledge.

12With the very aged <FI>is<Fi> wisdom, And <FI>with<Fi> length of days understanding.

13WithGodis wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding.

13With him there is wisdom and strength; power and knowledge are his.

13With Him <FI>are<Fi> wisdom and might, To him <FI>are<Fi> counsel and understanding.

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

14Truly, there is no building up of what is pulled down by him; when a man is shut up by him, no one may let him loose.

14Lo, He breaketh down, and it is not built up, He shutteth against a man, And it is not opened.

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

15Truly, he keeps back the waters and they are dry; he sends them out and the earth is overturned.

15Lo, He keepeth in the waters, and they are dried up, And he sendeth them forth, And they overturn the land.

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

16With him are strength and wise designs; he who is guided into error, together with his guide, are in his hands;

16With Him <FI>are<Fi> strength and wisdom, His the deceived and deceiver.

17He leadeth counsellors away stripped, And judges maketh he fools.

17He takes away the wisdom of the wise guides, and makes judges foolish;

17Causing counsellors to go away a spoil, And judges He maketh foolish.

18He looseth the bond of kings, And he bindeth their loins with a girdle.

18He undoes the chains of kings, and puts his band on them;

18The bands of kings He hath opened, And He bindeth a girdle on their loins.

19He leadeth priests away stripped, And overthroweth the mighty.

19He makes priests prisoners, overturning those in safe positions;

19Causing ministers to go away a spoil And strong ones He overthroweth.

20He removeth the speech of the trusty, And taketh away the understanding of the elders.

20He makes the words of responsible persons without effect, and takes away the good sense of the old;

20Turning aside the lip of the stedfast, And the reason of the aged He taketh away.

21He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the belt of the strong.

21He puts shame on chiefs, and takes away the power of the strong;

21Pouring contempt upon princes, And the girdle of the mighty He made feeble.

22He uncovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

22Uncovering deep things out of the dark, and making the deep shade bright;

22Removing deep things out of darkness, And He bringeth out to light death-shade.

23He increaseth the nations, and he destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations, and he leadeth them captive.

23Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.

23Magnifying the nations, and He destroyeth them, Spreading out the nations, and He quieteth them.

24He taketh away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

24He takes away the wisdom of the rulers of the earth, and sends them wandering in a waste where there is no way.

24Turning aside the heart Of the heads of the people of the land, And he causeth them to wander In vacancy--no way!

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

25They go feeling about in the dark without light, wandering without help like those overcome with wine.

25They feel darkness, and not light, He causeth them to wander as a drunkard.