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12 ¶ And Job answered and said,

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

But I have a heart as well as you; I am not inferior to you; and who shall not be able to say as much again?

He who invokes God and he answers him is mocked by his friend; the just and perfect man is laughed to scorn.

The torch is held in low esteem in the thought of him that is prosperous, which was prepared to guard against a slip of the feet.

¶ The tents of robbers are at ease, and those that provoke God and those who carry gods in their hands live secure.

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the heavens, and they shall show thee;

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

What thing of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD made them?

10 In his hand is the soul of every living thing and the spirit of all flesh of man.

11 Certainly the ear proves words and the mouth tastes foods.

12 ¶ With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days intelligence.

13 With him is wisdom and strength; he has counsel and intelligence.

14 Behold, he shall break down, and it shall not be built again; he shall shut up a man, and no one shall be able to open unto him.

15 Behold, he shall withhold the waters, and they shall dry up; also he shall send them forth, and they shall destroy the earth.

16 With him is strength and existence; he who errs and he who leads astray are his.

17 He causes the counsellors to walk away stripped of counsel and makes the judges to be fools.

18 He looses the bond of kings and girds their loins with a girdle.

19 He leads priests away spoiled and overthrows the mighty.

20 He impedes the lips of those that speak the truth and takes away the counsel of the aged.

21 He pours contempt upon princes and weakens the strength of the mighty.

22 He uncovers the depths of the darkness and brings out to light the shadow of death.

23 He multiplies the Gentiles and destroys them; he scatters the Gentiles and gathers them again.

24 He takes away the heart of the heads of the people of the earth and causes them to become lost, wandering without a way.

25 They grope in the darkness and not the light, and he causes them to err like drunken men.

Job

12 Then Job replied:

“Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
    and wisdom will die with you!(A)
But I have a mind as well as you;
    I am not inferior to you.
    Who does not know all these things?(B)

“I have become a laughingstock(C) to my friends,(D)
    though I called on God and he answered(E)
    a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!(F)
Those who are at ease have contempt(G) for misfortune
    as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.(H)
The tents of marauders are undisturbed,(I)
    and those who provoke God are secure(J)
    those God has in his hand.[a]

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,(K)
    or the birds in the sky,(L) and they will tell you;(M)
or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
    or let the fish in the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know(N)
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?(O)
10 In his hand is the life(P) of every creature
    and the breath of all mankind.(Q)
11 Does not the ear test words
    as the tongue tastes food?(R)
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged?(S)
    Does not long life bring understanding?(T)

13 “To God belong wisdom(U) and power;(V)
    counsel and understanding are his.(W)
14 What he tears down(X) cannot be rebuilt;(Y)
    those he imprisons cannot be released.(Z)
15 If he holds back the waters,(AA) there is drought;(AB)
    if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.(AC)
16 To him belong strength and insight;(AD)
    both deceived and deceiver are his.(AE)
17 He leads rulers away stripped(AF)
    and makes fools of judges.(AG)
18 He takes off the shackles(AH) put on by kings
    and ties a loincloth[b] around their waist.(AI)
19 He leads priests away stripped(AJ)
    and overthrows officials long established.(AK)
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers
    and takes away the discernment of elders.(AL)
21 He pours contempt on nobles(AM)
    and disarms the mighty.(AN)
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness(AO)
    and brings utter darkness(AP) into the light.(AQ)
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;(AR)
    he enlarges nations,(AS) and disperses them.(AT)
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;(AU)
    he makes them wander in a trackless waste.(AV)
25 They grope in darkness with no light;(AW)
    he makes them stagger like drunkards.(AX)

Footnotes

  1. Job 12:6 Or those whose god is in their own hand
  2. Job 12:18 Or shackles of kings / and ties a belt

12 And Job answered and said,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the 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? and the mouth taste his meat?

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

13 With him is wisdom and strength, 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: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.

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