1 A nd Job answereth and saith: --

¶ And Job answered and said,

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

No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall 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 a heart as well as you; I am not inferior to you; and who shall not be able to say as much again?

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

He who invokes God and he answers him is mocked by his friend; the just and perfect man is laughed to scorn.

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

The 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.

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

¶ The tents of robbers are at ease, and those that provoke God and those who carry gods in their hands live secure.

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.

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the heavens, and they shall show thee;

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 shall teach thee; the fishes of the sea shall declare it unto thee also.

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

What thing of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD made them?

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

In his hand is the soul of every living thing and the spirit of all flesh of man.

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

Certainly the ear proves words and the mouth tastes foods.

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

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

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

With him is wisdom and strength; he has counsel and intelligence.

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

Behold, 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.

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

Behold, he shall withhold the waters, and they shall dry up; also he shall send them forth, and they shall destroy the earth.

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

With him is strength and existence; he who errs and he who leads astray are his.

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

He causes the counsellors to walk away stripped of counsel and makes the judges to be fools.

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

He looses the bond of kings and girds their loins with a girdle.

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

He leads priests away spoiled and overthrows the mighty.

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

He impedes the lips of those that speak the truth and takes away the counsel of the aged.

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

He pours contempt upon princes and weakens the strength of the mighty.

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

He uncovers the depths of the darkness and brings out to light the shadow of death.

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

He multiplies the Gentiles and destroys them; he scatters the Gentiles and gathers them again.

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 the heart of the heads of the people of the earth and causes them to become lost, wandering without a way.

25 T hey feel darkness, and not light, He causeth them to wander as a drunkard.

They grope in the darkness and not the light, and he causes them to err like drunken men.