1 T hen Job answered,

Then Job answered,

2 “ No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will 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 less than you. Who does not know such things as these?

But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these ?

4 E ven my friends laugh at me. The man who called on God, and God answered him, the man who is right and without blame is laughed at.

I am become one who is a laughingstock to his friend; I, one whom God answered when he called upon Him—a just, upright (blameless) man—laughed to scorn!

5 H e who lives in comfort laughs at one who has trouble and whose feet are slipping.

In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune—but it is ready for those whose feet slip.

6 T he tents of those who destroy have much. Those who make God angry are safe and have their god in their own hands.

The dwellings of robbers prosper; those who provoke God are secure; God supplies them abundantly.

7 “ But ask the wild animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you.

For ask now the animals, and they will teach you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

8 O r speak to the earth, and let it teach you. Let the fish of the sea make it known to you.

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

9 W ho among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?

Who not to recognize in all these that it is God’s hand which does it ?

10 I n His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all men.

In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.

11 D oes not the ear test words as the mouth tastes food?

Is it not the task of the ear to discriminate between words, just as the mouth distinguishes food?

12 W isdom is with old men, and understanding with long life.

With the aged is wisdom, and with length of days comes understanding.

13 “ With God are wisdom and strength. Wise words and understanding belong to Him.

But with are wisdom and might; He has counsel and understanding.

14 S ee, He tears down, and it cannot be built again. He puts a man in prison, and no one can free him.

Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be built again; He shuts a man in, and none can open.

15 S ee, He stops the waters and they dry up. He sends them out, and they cover the earth.

He withholds the waters, and the land dries up; again, He sends forth, and they overwhelm the land or transform it.

16 S trength and wisdom are with Him. Both the fool and the one who fools him belong to God.

With Him are might and wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are His.

17 H e takes wisdom away from leaders and makes fools of judges.

He leads counselors away stripped and barefoot and makes the judges fools.

18 H e takes off chains put on by kings, and holds back the power of kings.

He looses the fetters by kings and has waistcloth bound about their loins.

19 H e makes religious leaders walk without pride, and takes the power away from those who think they are safe.

He leads away priests as spoil, and men firmly seated He overturns.

20 H e stops the trusted ones from speaking and takes away the wisdom of the leaders.

He deprives of speech those who are trusted and takes away the discernment and discretion of the aged.

21 H e pours anger on rulers, and takes away the strength of the strong.

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

22 H e makes known hidden truth from the darkness, and brings deep darkness to light.

He uncovers deep things out of darkness and brings into light black gloom and the shadow of death.

23 H e makes the nations great, and then destroys them. He helps nations to become large, then leads them away.

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

24 H e takes away understanding from the leaders of the people of the earth, and makes them travel in a waste-land with no path.

He takes away understanding from the leaders of the people of the land and of the earth, and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no path.

25 T hey feel their way in darkness with no light. And He makes them walk from side to side like a drunk man.

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