1 T hen Job answered and said,

Then Job answered and said:

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

“No doubt you are the people, And wisdom will die with you!

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 understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Indeed, 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 one mocked by his friends, Who called on God, and He answered him, The just and blameless who is ridiculed.

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

A lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease; It is made ready 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 robbers prosper, And those who provoke God are secure— In what God provides by His hand.

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 they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will 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 it will teach you; And the fish of the sea will explain 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 And the mouth taste its food?

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

Wisdom is with aged men, And with length of days, understanding.

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

“With Him are wisdom and strength, He has 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.

If He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt; If He imprisons a man, 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.

If He withholds the waters, they dry up; If He sends them out, they overwhelm the earth.

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

With Him are strength and prudence. The deceived and the deceiver are His.

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

He leads counselors away plundered, And makes fools of the judges.

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

He loosens the bonds of kings, And binds their waist with a belt.

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

He leads princes away plundered, And overthrows the mighty.

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 princes, And disarms the mighty.

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

He uncovers deep things out of darkness, And brings the shadow of death to light.

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

He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them.

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 takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, And makes them wander in a pathless wilderness.

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

They grope in the dark without light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.