Job 12–13

Chapter 12

¹And Job answered and said, ²Truly ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you! ³I also have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you; and who knoweth not such things as these? ⁴I am to be one that is a derision to his friend, I who call upon †God, and whom he will answer: a derision is the just upright man. ⁵He that is ready to stumble with the foot is a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

⁶The tents of desolators are in peace, and they that provoke •God are secure; into whose hand †God bringeth. ⁷But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowl of the heavens, and they shall tell thee; ⁸Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. ⁹Who knoweth not in all these, that the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this? ¹⁰In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all flesh of man. ¹¹Doth not the ear try words, as the palate tasteth food?

¹²With the aged is wisdom, and in length of days understanding. ¹³With him is wisdom and might; he hath counsel and understanding. ¹⁴Behold, he breaketh down, and it is not built again; he shutteth up a man, and there is no opening. ¹⁵Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; and he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth. ¹⁶With him is strength and effectual knowledge; the deceived and the deceiver are his. ¹⁷He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and judges maketh he fools; ¹⁸He weakeneth the government of kings, and bindeth their loins with a fetter; ¹⁹He leadeth priests away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty; ²⁰He depriveth of speech the trusty, and taketh away the judgment of the elders; ²¹He poureth contempt upon nobles, and slackeneth the girdle of the mighty; ²²He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out into light the shadow of death; ²³He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; he spreadeth out the nations, and bringeth them in; ²⁴He taketh away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a pathless waste. ²⁵They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunkard.

Chapter 13

¹Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it. ²What ye know, I know also: I am not inferior to you. ³But I will speak to the Almighty, and will find pleasure in reasoning with •God; ⁴For ye indeed are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value. ⁵Oh that ye would be altogether silent! and it would be your wisdom. ⁶Hear now my defence, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips. ⁷Will ye speak unrighteously for •God? and for him speak deceit? ⁸Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for •God? ⁹Will it be well if he should search you out? or as one mocketh at a man, will ye mock at him? ¹⁰He will certainly reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons. ¹¹Shall not his excellency terrify you? and his dread fall upon you? ¹²Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, your bulwarks are bulwarks of mire.

¹³Hold your peace from me, and I will speak, and let come on me what will! ¹⁴Wherefore should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand? ¹⁵Behold, if he slay me, yet would I trust in him; but I will defend mine own ways before him. ¹⁶This also shall be my salvation, that a profane man shall not come before his face. ¹⁷Hear attentively my speech and my declaration with your ears. ¹⁸Behold now, I have ordered the cause; I know that I shall be justified. ¹⁹Who is he that contendeth with me? For if I were silent now, I should expire. ²⁰Only do not two things unto me; then will I not hide myself from thee. ²¹Withdraw thy hand far from me; and let not thy terror make me afraid: ²²Then call, and I will answer; or I will speak, and answer thou me.

²³How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin. ²⁴Wherefore dost thou hide thy face, and countest me for thine enemy? ²⁵Wilt thou terrify a driven leaf? and wilt thou pursue dry stubble? ²⁶For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth; ²⁷And thou puttest my feet in the stocks, and markest all my paths; thou settest a bound about the soles of my feet; — ²⁸One who, as a rotten thing consumeth, as a garment that the moth eateth.