Job 12

¹ Then Job answered and said,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹¹ Doth not the ear try words, even as the palate tasteth its meat?

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

¹³ With him is wisdom and might; he hath counsel and understanding.

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

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

¹⁶ With him is strength and effectual working; the deceived and the deceiver are his.

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

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

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

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

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

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

²³ He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he spreadeth the nations abroad, and bringeth them in.

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

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