1 T hen Job answered,

Then Job answered and said,

2 “ No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you.

No doubt but ye are the people, And wisdom shall 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: Yea, who knoweth not 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 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 H e who lives in comfort laughs at one who has trouble and whose feet are slipping.

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

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

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

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 let it teach you. Let the fish of the sea make it known to you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With God is wisdom and might; He hath 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 breaketh down, and it cannot be built again; He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He leadeth priests away stripped, And overthroweth the mighty.

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

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

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

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

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

He uncovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light 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 increaseth the nations, and he destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations, and he leadeth them captive.

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 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 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 maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.