Job 12

Job’s Fourth Speech

1 Then ^{▼▼Hebrew “And”} Job answered and said,

2 “Truly indeed you ^▼▼Plural are the people,
and wisdom will die with you. ^▼▼Plural
3 ⌞I also have insight⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “Also for me heart”} like you; ^▼▼Plural
I am not more inferior than you. ^▼▼Plural
And ⌞who does not know things like these⌟? ^{▼▼Literally “and who there is not like these”}
4 I am a laughingstock to my friends: ^{▼▼Hebrew “to his friends”}
‘He calls on God, and he answers him.’
A righteous, blameless man is a laughingstock.
5 ⌞Those at ease have contempt⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “Contempt is according to the thought of the complacent”} for the thought of ⌞disaster⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “a torch”}
but it is ready for those unstable of foot.
6 The tents of the destroyers are at peace,
and there is security for those who provoke God,
for those whom God brings into his hand. ^{▼▼Or “power”}
7 “But ^{▼▼Hebrew “And”} ask ^{▼▼Or “ask now,” or “please ask”} the animals, and they will teach you,
and the birds of the heaven, and they will tell you;
8 or ask the earth, and it will teach you,
and the fishes of the sea will declare to you.
9 Who among all of these does not know
that Yahweh’s hand has done this?
10 In whose hand is the life of all living things
and ⌞the breath of every human being⌟? ^{▼▼Literally “the breath of all the flesh of man”}
11 Does not the ear test words
and the palate taste food for itself?
12 Wisdom is with the aged,
and understanding is in length of days.
13 “With him are wisdom and powerful deeds,
and to him belong counsel and understanding.
14 If he tears down, then ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} it will not be rebuilt;
if he shuts a man in, then ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} he cannot be freed.
15 Look, if he withholds the water, ^{▼▼Or “waters”} then ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} they dry up;
and if he sends them out, then ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} they overwhelm the land.
16 “Strength and sound wisdom are with him;
the deceived and the deceiver are his. ^{▼▼Or “for him”}
17 He leads counselors away stripped,
and he makes fools of judges.
18 He loosens the fetters of kings,
and he binds a loincloth on their loins.
19 He leads priests away stripped,
and he overthrows ⌞the members of ancient families⌟. ^{▼▼Literally “the constant”}
20 He deprives the trustworthy of speech,
and he takes away the discretion of elders.
21 He pours contempt on noblemen,
and he loosens the girdle of the mighty.
22 “He uncovers mysteries out of darkness,
and he brings deep shadow to the light.
23 He makes the nations great, then ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} he destroys them;
he expands the nations, then ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} he guides them.
24 He strips away the insight of the heads of the earth’s people,
and he makes them wander in ⌞a pathless wasteland⌟. ^{▼▼Literally “in a wasteland not a way”}
25 They grope in the dark ⌞without⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “and not”} light,
and he makes them stagger like a ^{▼▼Hebrew “the”} drunkard.