Job 12  New Century Version

² “You really think you are the only wise people
    and that when you die, wisdom will die with you!
³ But my mind is as good as yours;
    you are not better than I am.
    Everyone knows all these things.
⁴ My friends all laugh at me
    when I call on God and expect him to answer me;
    they laugh at me even though I am right and innocent!
⁵ Those who are comfortable don’t care that others have trouble;
    they think it right that those people should have troubles.
⁶ The tents of robbers are not bothered,
    and those who make God angry are safe.
    They have their god in their pocket.

⁷ “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
    or ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
⁸ Speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
    or let the fish of the sea tell you.
⁹ Every one of these knows
    that the hand of the Lord has done this.
¹⁰ The life of every creature
    and the breath of all people are in God’s hand.
¹¹ The ear tests words
    as the tongue tastes food.
¹² Older people are wise,
    and long life brings understanding.

¹³ “But only God has wisdom and power,
    good advice and understanding.
¹⁴ What he tears down cannot be rebuilt;
    anyone he puts in prison cannot be let out.
¹⁵ If God holds back the waters, there is no rain;
    if he lets the waters go, they flood the land.
¹⁶ He is strong and victorious;
    both the one who fools others and the one who is fooled belong to him.
¹⁷ God leads the wise away as captives
    and turns judges into fools.
¹⁸ He takes off chains that kings put on
    and puts a garment on their bodies.
¹⁹ He leads priests away naked
    and destroys the powerful.
²⁰ He makes trusted people be silent
    and takes away the wisdom of elders.
²¹ He brings disgrace on important people
    and takes away the weapons of the strong.
²² He uncovers the deep things of darkness
    and brings dark shadows into the light.
²³ He makes nations great and then destroys them;
    he makes nations large and then scatters them.
²⁴ He takes understanding away from the leaders of the earth
    and makes them wander through a pathless desert.
²⁵ They feel around in darkness with no light;
    he makes them stumble like drunks.