1 A nd Job answereth and saith: --

Then Job answered,

2 T ruly -- ye the people, And with you doth wisdom die.

No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you!

3 I also have a heart like you, I am not fallen more than you, And with whom is there not like these?

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

4 A laughter to his friend I am: `He calleth to God, and He answereth him,' A laughter the perfect righteous one.

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 A torch -- despised in the thoughts of the secure Is prepared for those sliding with the feet.

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

6 A t peace are the tents of spoilers, And those provoking God have confidence, He into whose hand God hath brought.

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

7 A nd yet, ask, I pray thee, the beasts, and it doth shew thee, And a fowl of the heavens, And it doth declare to thee.

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

8 O r talk to the earth, and it sheweth thee, And fishes of the sea recount to thee:

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

9 ` Who hath not known in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath done this?

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

10 I n whose hand the breath of every living thing, And the spirit of all flesh of man.'

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

11 D oth not the ear try words? And the palate taste food for itself?

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

12 W ith the very aged wisdom, And length of days understanding.

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

13 W ith Him wisdom and might, To him counsel and understanding.

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

14 L o, He breaketh down, and it is not built up, He shutteth against a man, And it is not opened.

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

15 L o, He keepeth in the waters, and they are dried up, And he sendeth them forth, And they overturn the land.

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

16 W ith Him strength and wisdom, His the deceived and deceiver.

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

17 C ausing counsellors to go away a spoil, And judges He maketh foolish.

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

18 T he bands of kings He hath opened, And He bindeth a girdle on their loins.

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

19 C ausing ministers to go away a spoil And strong ones He overthroweth.

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

20 T urning aside the lip of the stedfast, And the reason of the aged He taketh away.

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

21 P ouring contempt upon princes, And the girdle of the mighty He made feeble.

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

22 R emoving deep things out of darkness, And He bringeth out to light death-shade.

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

23 M agnifying the nations, and He destroyeth them, Spreading out the nations, and He quieteth them.

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

24 T urning aside the heart Of the heads of the people of the land, And he causeth them to wander In vacancy -- no way!

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 darkness, and not light, He causeth them to wander as a drunkard.

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