1 T hen Job answered,

Then Job responded,

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

“Truly then you are the people, And with you wisdom will die!

3 B ut I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who doesn’t know such things as these?

“But I have intelligence as well as you; I am not inferior to you. And who does not know such things as these?

4 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.

“I am a joke to my friends, The one who called on God and He answered him; The just and blameless man is a joke.

5 I n the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune. It is ready for them whose foot slips.

“ He who is at ease holds calamity in contempt, As prepared for those whose feet slip.

6 T he tents of robbers prosper. Those who provoke God are secure, who carry their God in their hands.

“The tents of the destroyers prosper, And those who provoke God are secure, Whom God brings into their power.

7 “ But ask the animals, now, and they shall teach you; the birds of the sky, and they shall tell you.

“But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you.

8 O r speak to the earth, and it shall teach you. The fish of the sea shall declare to you.

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

9 W ho doesn’t know that in all these, Yahweh’s hand has done this,

“Who among all these does not know That the hand of the Lord has done this,

10 i n whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?

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

11 D oesn’t the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?

“Does not the ear test words, As the palate tastes its food?

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

“Wisdom is with aged men, With long life is understanding. Job Speaks of the Power of God

13 “ With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.

“With Him are wisdom and might; To Him belong counsel and understanding.

14 B ehold, he breaks down, and it can’t be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.

“Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt; He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.

15 B ehold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.

“Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up; And He sends them out, and they inundate the earth.

16 W ith him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.

“With Him are strength and sound wisdom, The misled and the misleader belong to Him.

17 H e leads counselors away stripped. He makes judges fools.

“He makes counselors walk barefoot And makes fools of judges.

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

“He loosens the bond of kings And binds their loins with a girdle.

19 H e leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.

“He makes priests walk barefoot And overthrows the secure ones.

20 H e removes the speech of those who are trusted, and takes away the understanding of the elders.

“He deprives the trusted ones of speech And takes away the discernment of the elders.

21 H e pours contempt on princes, and loosens the belt of the strong.

“He pours contempt on nobles And loosens the belt of the strong.

22 H e uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.

“He reveals mysteries from the darkness And brings the deep darkness into light.

23 H e increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.

“He makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.

24 H e 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.

“He deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the earth’s people And makes them wander in a pathless waste.

25 T hey grope in the dark without light. He makes them stagger like a drunken man.

“They grope in darkness with no light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.