Job, 12

1. Job spoke next. He said:

1. And Job answered and said,

2. Doubtless, you are the voice of the people, and when you die, wisdom will die with you!

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

3. But I have a brain, as well as you, I am in no way inferior to you, and who, in any case, does not know all that?

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

4. Anyone becomes a laughing-stock to his friends if he cries to God and expects an answer. People laugh at anyone who has integrity and is upright.

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

5. 'Add insult to injury,' think the prosperous, 'strike the fellow now that he is staggering!'

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

6. And yet the tents of brigands are left in peace: those who provoke God dwell secure and so does anyone who makes a god of his fist!

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

7. You have only to ask the cattle, for them to instruct you, and the birds of the sky, for them to inform you.

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

8. The creeping things of earth will give you lessons, and the fish of the sea provide you an explanation:

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

9. there is not one such creature but will know that the hand of God has arranged things like this!

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

10. In his hand is the soul of every living thing and the breath of every human being!

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

11. Can the ear not distinguish the value of what is said, just as the palate can tell one food from another?

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

12. Wisdom is found in the old, and discretion comes with great age.

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

13. But in him there is wisdom, and power too, and good counsel no less than discretion.

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

14. What he destroys, no one can rebuild; whom he imprisons, no one can release.

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

15. Is there a drought? He has withheld the waters. Do they play havoc on earth? He has let them loose.

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

16. In him is strength, in him resourcefulness, beguiler and beguiled alike are his.

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

17. He robs a country's counsellors of their wits, turns judges into fools.

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

18. He undoes the belts of kings and knots a rope round their waists.

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

19. He makes priests walk barefoot, and overthrows the powers that are established.

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

20. He strikes the most assured of speakers dumb and robs old people of their discretion.

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

21. He pours contempt on the nobly born, and unbuckles the belt of the strong.

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

22. He unveils the depths of darkness, brings shadow dark as death to the light.

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

23. He builds nations up, then ruins them, he makes peoples expand, then suppresses them.

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

24. He strips a country's leaders of their judgement, and leaves them to wander in a trackless waste,

24. He 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.

25. to grope about in unlit darkness, lurching to and fro as though drunk.

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