1 T hen Job answered,

And Job answereth and saith: --

2 N o doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you!

Truly -- ye the people, And with you doth wisdom die.

3 B ut I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these ?

I also have a heart like you, I am not fallen more than you, And with whom is there not like these?

4 I am become one who is a laughingstock to his friend; I, one whom God answered when he called upon Him—a just, upright (blameless) man—laughed to scorn!

A laughter to his friend I am: `He calleth to God, and He answereth him,' A laughter the perfect righteous one.

5 I n the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune—but it is ready for those whose feet slip.

A torch -- despised in the thoughts of the secure Is prepared for those sliding with the feet.

6 T he dwellings of robbers prosper; those who provoke God are secure; God supplies them abundantly.

At peace are the tents of spoilers, And those provoking God have confidence, He into whose hand God hath brought.

7 F or ask now the animals, and they will teach you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

And yet, ask, I pray thee, the beasts, and it doth shew thee, And a fowl of the heavens, And it doth declare to thee.

8 O r speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you.

Or talk to the earth, and it sheweth thee, And fishes of the sea recount to thee:

9 W ho not to recognize in all these that it is God’s hand which does it ?

`Who hath not known in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath done this?

10 I n His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.

In whose hand the breath of every living thing, And the spirit of all flesh of man.'

11 I s it not the task of the ear to discriminate between words, just as the mouth distinguishes food?

Doth not the ear try words? And the palate taste food for itself?

12 W ith the aged is wisdom, and with length of days comes understanding.

With the very aged wisdom, And length of days understanding.

13 B ut with are wisdom and might; He has counsel and understanding.

With Him wisdom and might, To him counsel and understanding.

14 B ehold, He tears down, and it cannot be built again; He shuts a man in, and none can open.

Lo, He breaketh down, and it is not built up, He shutteth against a man, And it is not opened.

15 H e withholds the waters, and the land dries up; again, He sends forth, and they overwhelm the land or transform it.

Lo, He keepeth in the waters, and they are dried up, And he sendeth them forth, And they overturn the land.

16 W ith Him are might and wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are His.

With Him strength and wisdom, His the deceived and deceiver.

17 H e leads counselors away stripped and barefoot and makes the judges fools.

Causing counsellors to go away a spoil, And judges He maketh foolish.

18 H e looses the fetters by kings and has waistcloth bound about their loins.

The bands of kings He hath opened, And He bindeth a girdle on their loins.

19 H e leads away priests as spoil, and men firmly seated He overturns.

Causing ministers to go away a spoil And strong ones He overthroweth.

20 H e deprives of speech those who are trusted and takes away the discernment and discretion of the aged.

Turning aside the lip of the stedfast, And the reason of the aged He taketh away.

21 H e pours contempt on princes and loosens the belt of the strong.

Pouring contempt upon princes, And the girdle of the mighty He made feeble.

22 H e uncovers deep things out of darkness and brings into light black gloom and the shadow of death.

Removing deep things out of darkness, And He bringeth out to light death-shade.

23 H e makes nations great, and He destroys them; He enlarges nations, and leads them.

Magnifying the nations, and He destroyeth them, Spreading out the nations, and He quieteth them.

24 H e takes away understanding from the leaders of the people of the land and of the earth, and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no path.

Turning aside the heart Of the heads of the people of the land, And he causeth them to wander In vacancy -- no way!

25 T hey grope in the dark without light, and He makes them to stagger and wander like a drunken man.

They feel darkness, and not light, He causeth them to wander as a drunkard.