1 A nd Job answered and said,

¶ And Job answered and said,

2 T ruly ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you!

No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

3 I also have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you; and who knoweth not such things as these?

But I have a heart as well as you; I am not inferior to you; and who shall not be able to say as much again?

4 I 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.

He who invokes God and he answers him is mocked by his friend; the just and perfect man is laughed to scorn.

5 H e that is ready to stumble with the foot is a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

The torch is held in low esteem in the thought of him that is prosperous, which was prepared to guard against a slip of the feet.

6 T he tents of desolators are in peace, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand +God bringeth.

¶ The tents of robbers are at ease, and those that provoke God and those who carry gods in their hands live secure.

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

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the heavens, and they shall show thee;

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 shall teach thee; the fishes of the sea shall declare it unto thee also.

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

What thing of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD made them?

10 I n whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all flesh of man.

In his hand is the soul of every living thing and the spirit of all flesh of man.

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

Certainly the ear proves words and the mouth tastes foods.

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

¶ With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days intelligence.

13 W ith him is wisdom and might; he hath counsel and understanding.

With him is wisdom and strength; he has counsel and intelligence.

14 B ehold, he breaketh down, and it is not built again; he shutteth up a man, and there is no opening.

Behold, he shall break down, and it shall not be built again; he shall shut up a man, and no one shall be able to open unto him.

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

Behold, he shall withhold the waters, and they shall dry up; also he shall send them forth, and they shall destroy the earth.

16 W ith him is strength and effectual knowledge; the deceived and the deceiver are his.

With him is strength and existence; he who errs and he who leads astray are his.

17 H e leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and judges maketh he fools;

He causes the counsellors to walk away stripped of counsel and makes the judges to be fools.

18 H e weakeneth the government of kings, and bindeth their loins with a fetter;

He looses the bond of kings and girds their loins with a girdle.

19 H e leadeth priests away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty;

He leads priests away spoiled and overthrows the mighty.

20 H e depriveth of speech the trusty, and taketh away the judgment of the elders;

He impedes the lips of those that speak the truth and takes away the counsel of the aged.

21 H e poureth contempt upon nobles, and slackeneth the girdle of the mighty;

He pours contempt upon princes and weakens the strength of the mighty.

22 H e discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out into light the shadow of death;

He uncovers the depths of the darkness and brings out to light the shadow of death.

23 H e increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; he spreadeth out the nations, and bringeth them in;

He multiplies the Gentiles and destroys them; he scatters the Gentiles and gathers them again.

24 H e taketh away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a pathless waste.

He takes away the heart of the heads of the people of the earth and causes them to become lost, wandering without a way.

25 T hey grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunkard.

They grope in the darkness and not the light, and he causes them to err like drunken men.