1 ¶ And 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 but ye are the people, And wisdom shall die with you.

3 B ut 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?

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

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

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.

5 T he 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 W hat thing of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD made them?

Who knoweth not in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this,

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

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

11 C ertainly the ear proves words and the mouth tastes foods.

Doth not the ear try words, Even as the palate tasteth its food?

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

With aged men is wisdom, And in length of days understanding.

13 W ith him is wisdom and strength; he has counsel and intelligence.

With God is wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding.

14 B ehold, 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.

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

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

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

16 W ith him is strength and existence; he who errs and he who leads astray are his.

With him is strength and wisdom; The deceived and the deceiver are his.

17 H e causes the counsellors to walk away stripped of counsel and makes the judges to be fools.

He leadeth counsellors away stripped, And judges maketh he fools.

18 H e looses the bond of kings and girds their loins with a girdle.

He looseth the bond of kings, And he bindeth their loins with a girdle.

19 H e leads priests away spoiled and overthrows the mighty.

He leadeth priests away stripped, And overthroweth the mighty.

20 H e impedes the lips of those that speak the truth and takes away the counsel of the aged.

He removeth the speech of the trusty, And taketh away the understanding of the elders.

21 H e pours contempt upon princes and weakens the strength of the mighty.

He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the belt of the strong.

22 H e uncovers the depths of the darkness and brings out to light the shadow of death.

He uncovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

23 H e multiplies the Gentiles and destroys them; he scatters the Gentiles and gathers them again.

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

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

He 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.

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

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