1 And Job answered and said,

2 Truly ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you!

3 I also have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you; and who knoweth not such things as these?

4 I am to be one that is a derision to his friend, I who call upon +God, and whom he will answer: a derision is the just upright {man}.

5 He that is ready to stumble with the foot is a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

6 The tents of desolators are in peace, and they that provoke *God are secure; into whose hand +God bringeth.

7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowl of the heavens, and they shall tell thee;

8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

9 Who knoweth not in all these, that the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this?

10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all flesh of man.

11 Doth not the ear try words, as the palate tasteth food?

12 With the aged is wisdom, and in length of days understanding.

13 With him is wisdom and might; he hath counsel and understanding.

14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it is not built again; he shutteth up a man, and there is no opening.

15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; and he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

16 With him is strength and effectual knowledge; the deceived and the deceiver are his.

17 He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and judges maketh he fools;

18 He weakeneth the government of kings, and bindeth their loins with a fetter;

19 He leadeth priests away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty;

20 He depriveth of speech the trusty, and taketh away the judgment of the elders;

21 He poureth contempt upon nobles, and slackeneth the girdle of the mighty;

22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out into light the shadow of death;

23 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; he spreadeth out the nations, and bringeth them in;

24 He taketh away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a pathless waste.

25 They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunkard.

1 Then Job answered and said,

2 No doubt but ye are the people,

And wisdom shall die with you.

3 But I have understanding as well as you;

I am not inferior to you:

Yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

4 I am as one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbor,

I who called upon God, and he answered:

The just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock.

5 In the thought of him that is at ease there is contempt for misfortune;

It is ready for them whose foot slippeth.

6 The tents of robbers prosper,

And they that provoke God are secure;

Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee;

And the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee:

8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee;

And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

9 Who knoweth not in all these,

That the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this,

10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing,

And the breath of all mankind?

11 Doth not the ear try words,

Even as the palate tasteth its food?

12 With aged men is wisdom,

And in length of days understanding.

13 With God is wisdom and might;

He hath counsel and understanding.

14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again;

He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.

15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up;

Again, he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

16 With him is strength and wisdom;

The deceived and the deceiver are his.

17 He leadeth counsellors away stripped,

And judges maketh he fools.

18 He looseth the bond of kings,

And he bindeth their loins with a girdle.

19 He leadeth priests away stripped,

And overthroweth the mighty.

20 He removeth the speech of the trusty,

And taketh away the understanding of the elders.

21 He poureth contempt upon princes,

And looseth the belt of the strong.

22 He uncovereth deep things out of darkness,

And bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

23 He increaseth the nations, and he destroyeth them:

He enlargeth the nations, and he leadeth them captive.

24 He taketh away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth,

And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

25 They grope in the dark without light;

And he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.