1 A nd Job answereth and saith: --

Then Job answered,

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

“No doubt, but you 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 understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who doesn’t 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 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.

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. It is ready for them whose foot slips.

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 prosper. Those who provoke God are secure, who carry their God in their hands.

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 the animals, now, and they shall teach you; the birds of the sky, and they shall 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 shall teach you. The fish of the sea shall declare to you.

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

Who doesn’t know that in all these, Yahweh’s hand has done this,

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

in whose 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?

Doesn’t the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?

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

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

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

“With God is 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 breaks down, and it can’t be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.

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

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

With him is strength 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. He makes judges fools.

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

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

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

He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.

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

He removes the speech of those who are trusted, and takes away the understanding of the elders.

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

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 chiefs of the people of the earth, and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

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

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