Job 12

¹Then Job answered and said, ²No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you. ³But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these? ⁴I am as one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbour, a manthat called upon God, and he answered him: the just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock. ⁵In the thought of him that is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; it is ready for them whose foot slippeth. ⁶The tents of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly. ⁷But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: ⁸Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. ⁹Who knoweth not in all these, that the hand of LORD hath wrought this? ¹⁰In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. ¹¹Doth not the ear try words, even as the palate tasteth its meat? ¹²With aged men is wisdom, and in length of days understanding. ¹³With him is wisdom and might; he hath counsel and understanding. ¹⁴Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again; he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. ¹⁵Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; again, he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth. ¹⁶With him is strength and effectual working; the deceived and the deceiver are his. ¹⁷He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and judges maketh he fools. ¹⁸He looseth the bond of kings, and bindeth their loins with a girdle. ¹⁹He leadeth priests away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty. ²⁰He removeth the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the elders. ²¹He poureth contempt upon princes, and looseth the belt of the strong. ²²He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death. ²³He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he spreadeth the nations abroad, and bringeth them in. ²⁴He taketh away the heart of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way. ²⁵They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.