1 ¶ And Job answered and said,

Then Job answered,

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

“No doubt, but you 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. Yes, who doesn’t know 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 like one who is a joke to his neighbor, I, who called on God, and he answered. The just, the blameless man is a joke.

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 who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune. It is ready for them whose foot slips.

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. Those who provoke God are secure, who carry their God in their hands.

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 the animals, now, and they shall teach you; the birds of the sky, and they shall tell you.

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 you. The fish of the sea shall declare to you.

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

Who doesn’t know that in all these, Yahweh’s hand has done 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 life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?

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

Doesn’t the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?

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

With aged men is wisdom, 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 has 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 breaks down, and it can’t be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.

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 withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends 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 leads counselors away stripped. He makes judges fools.

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

He loosens the bond of kings. He binds their waist with a belt.

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

He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.

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

He removes the speech of those who are trusted, and takes away the understanding of the elders.

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

He pours contempt on princes, and loosens the belt of the strong.

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

He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings 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 increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads 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 takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causes 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. He makes them stagger like a drunken man.