Job 12

1 Then Job answered:

1 Then Job answered,

2 “Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die!

2 “No doubt, but you are the people, and wisdom will die with you.

3 But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?

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

4 I am a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God, and He answered. The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.

4 I 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.

5 The one at ease scorns misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.

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

6 The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure—those who carry their god in their hands.

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

7 But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.

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

8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you.

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

9 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?

9 Who doesn’t know that in all these, Yahweh’s hand has done this,

10 The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.

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

11 Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes its food?

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

12 Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.

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

13 Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.

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

14 What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.

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

15 If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.

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

16 True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.

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

17 He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.

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

18 He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists.

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

19 He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.

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

20 He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.

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

21 He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.

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

22 He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.

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

23 He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.

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

24 He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.

24 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 They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.

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