1 T hen Job answered and said,

Then Job responded,

2 N o doubt but ye are the people, And wisdom shall die with you.

“Truly then you are the people, And with you wisdom will die!

3 B ut I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

“But I have intelligence as well as you; I am not inferior to you. And who does not know such things as these?

4 I am as one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbor, I who called upon God, and he answered: The just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock.

“I am a joke to my friends, The one who called on God and He answered him; The just and blameless man is a joke.

5 I n the thought of him that is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; It is ready for them whose foot slippeth.

“ He who is at ease holds calamity in contempt, As prepared for those whose feet slip.

6 T he tents of robbers prosper, And they that provoke God are secure; Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

“The tents of the destroyers prosper, And those who provoke God are secure, Whom God brings into their power.

7 B ut ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee:

“But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you.

8 O r speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

“Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare to you.

9 W ho knoweth not in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this,

“Who among all these does not know That the hand of the Lord has done this,

10 I n whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?

In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?

11 D oth not the ear try words, Even as the palate tasteth its food?

“Does not the ear test words, As the palate tastes its food?

12 W ith aged men is wisdom, And in length of days understanding.

“Wisdom is with aged men, With long life is understanding. Job Speaks of the Power of God

13 W ith God is wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding.

“With Him are wisdom and might; To Him belong counsel and understanding.

14 B ehold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again; He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.

“Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt; He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.

15 B ehold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; Again, he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

“Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up; And He sends them out, and they inundate the earth.

16 W ith him is strength and wisdom; The deceived and the deceiver are his.

“With Him are strength and sound wisdom, The misled and the misleader belong to Him.

17 H e leadeth counsellors away stripped, And judges maketh he fools.

“He makes counselors walk barefoot And makes fools of judges.

18 H e looseth the bond of kings, And he bindeth their loins with a girdle.

“He loosens the bond of kings And binds their loins with a girdle.

19 H e leadeth priests away stripped, And overthroweth the mighty.

“He makes priests walk barefoot And overthrows the secure ones.

20 H e removeth the speech of the trusty, And taketh away the understanding of the elders.

“He deprives the trusted ones of speech And takes away the discernment of the elders.

21 H e poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the belt of the strong.

“He pours contempt on nobles And loosens the belt of the strong.

22 H e uncovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

“He reveals mysteries from the darkness And brings the deep darkness into light.

23 H e increaseth the nations, and he destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations, and he leadeth them captive.

“He makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.

24 H e taketh away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

“He deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the earth’s people And makes them wander in a pathless waste.

25 T hey grope in the dark without light; And he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.

“They grope in darkness with no light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.