Job 12

Job

12Then Job replied:

²“Doubtless you are the only people who matter,

and wisdom will die with you!^v

³But I have a mind as well as you;

I am not inferior to you.

Who does not know all these things?^w

⁴“I have become a laughingstock^x to my friends,^y

though I called on God and he answered^z—

a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!^a

⁵Those who are at ease have contempt^b for misfortune

as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.^c

⁶The tents of marauders are undisturbed,^d

and those who provoke God are secure^e—

those God has in his hand.^a

⁷“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,^f

or the birds in the sky,^g and they will tell you;^h

⁸or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,

or let the fish in the sea inform you.

⁹Which of all these does not knowⁱ

that the hand of the Lord has done this?^j

¹⁰In his hand is the life^k of every creature

and the breath of all mankind.^l

¹¹Does not the ear test words

as the tongue tastes food?^m

¹²Is not wisdom found among the aged?ⁿ

Does not long life bring understanding?^o

¹³“To God belong wisdom^p and power;^q

counsel and understanding are his.^r

¹⁴What he tears down^s cannot be rebuilt;^t

those he imprisons cannot be released.^u

¹⁵If he holds back the waters,^v there is drought;^w

if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.^x

¹⁶To him belong strength and insight;^y

both deceived and deceiver are his.^z

¹⁷He leads rulers away stripped^a

and makes fools of judges.^b

¹⁸He takes off the shackles^c put on by kings

and ties a loincloth^b around their waist.^d

¹⁹He leads priests away stripped^e

and overthrows officials long established.^f

²⁰He silences the lips of trusted advisers

and takes away the discernment of elders.^g

²¹He pours contempt on nobles^h

and disarms the mighty.ⁱ

²²He reveals the deep things of darkness^j

and brings utter darkness^k into the light.^l

²³He makes nations great, and destroys them;^m

he enlarges nations,ⁿ and disperses them.^o

²⁴He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;^p

he makes them wander in a trackless waste.^q

²⁵They grope in darkness with no light;^r

he makes them stagger like drunkards.^s