Job 12

1 Then Job answered:

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

3 But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who does not 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.

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

6 The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure—those 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

19 He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 ¶ And 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 mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright [man is] laughed to scorn.

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

6 ¶ The tabernacles 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 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].

1 Then Job answered and said:

2 Ye are the people; wisdom shall die with you!

3 I have as good a heart as ye, and am not less than ye: and who is he that knoweth not these things?

4 He that is laughed at by his neighbour shall call upon God, and he shall hear him. The righteous and the pious must be laughed at.

5 And is a despised light in the sight of the proud, and they are offended at it.

6 The dens of the spoilers are full, and rage against God, though God hath delivered it into their hand.

7 Ask the cattle, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee.

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

9 Who knoweth not all these things, that the hand of the LORD hath made them?

10 That in his hand is the soul of all that liveth, and the spirit of all flesh of every one?

11 Doth not the ear try the speech, and the mouth taste the meat?

12 Yea, with the grandfathers is wisdom and understanding with the aged.

13 With him is wisdom, and might, and counsel, and understanding.

14 Behold, if it be broken, no building shall avail: if it be worn out, no man can open it.

15 Behold, when he maketh the waters to fail, all things fail: and when he maketh them to fail, the land is turned back.

16 He is strong, and he bringeth it to pass. His is he that erreth, and he that deceiveth.

17 He leadeth the prudent as a spoil, and maketh the judges foolish.

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

19 He leadeth the priests as a spoil, and forbadeth the feasts.

20 He turneth away the lips of the upright, and taketh away the customs of the aged.

21 He poureth contempt upon the princes, and looseth the league of the mighty.

22 He openeth the dark places, and bringeth forth the darkness into the light.

23 He maketh some a great nation, and destroyeth them. He spreadeth out a people, and driveth them away.

24 He taketh away the courage of the rulers of the people of the land, and maketh them to err by a way that is not by a way,

25 That they should grope in darkness without light; and make them to err as the drunken.