Job 12

¹ And Job answereth and saith: —

² Truly — ye [are] the people, And with you doth wisdom die.

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

⁴ A laughter to his friend I am: ‘He calleth to God, and He answereth him,’ A laughter [is] the perfect righteous one.

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

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

⁷ And yet, ask, I pray thee, [One of] the beasts, and it doth shew thee, And a fowl of the heavens, And it doth declare to thee.

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

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

¹⁰ In whose hand [is] the breath of every living thing, And the spirit of all flesh of man.’

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

¹² With the very aged [is] wisdom, And [with] length of days understanding.

¹³ With Him [are] wisdom and might, To him [are] counsel and understanding.

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

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

¹⁶ With Him [are] strength and wisdom, His the deceived and deceiver.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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