Job’s Reply to Zophar

12 Then Job answered:

2 No doubt you are the people,

and wisdom will die with you!

3 But I also have a mind;

I am not inferior to you.

Who doesn’t know the things you are talking about? i j

4 I am a laughingstock to my k friends,

by calling on God, who answers me. l

The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock. m

5 The one who is at ease n holds calamity in contempt

and thinks it is prepared for those whose feet are slipping.

6 The tents of robbers are safe, o

and those who provoke God are secure;

God’s power provides this. p q

7 But ask the animals, and they will instruct you;

ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. r

8 Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct 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? s

10 The life of every living thing is in His hand,

as well as the breath of all mankind. t

11 Doesn’t the ear test words

as the palate tastes food?

12 Wisdom is found with the elderly,

and understanding comes with long life. u

13 Wisdom and strength belong to God;

counsel and understanding are His. v

14 Whatever He tears down cannot be rebuilt;

whoever He imprisons cannot be released. w

15 When He withholds the waters, everything dries up,

and when He releases them, they destroy the land. x

16 True wisdom and power belong to Him.

The deceived and the deceiver are His.

17 He leads counselors away barefoot

and makes judges go mad. y

18 He releases the bonds z put on by kings a

and fastens a belt around their waists.

19 He leads priests away barefoot

and overthrows established leaders. b

20 He deprives trusted advisers of speech

and takes away the elders’ good judgment.

21 He pours out contempt on nobles

and disarms c the strong.

22 He reveals mysteries from the darkness

and brings the deepest darkness into the light. d

23 He makes nations great, then destroys them;

He enlarges nations, e then leads them away.

24 He deprives the world’s leaders of reason,

and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland. f

25 They grope around in darkness without light;

He makes them stagger like drunken men. g