Job Replies: The Lord Has Done This
1 Then Job answered and said:
2 "No doubt you are the people,
and wisdom will die with you.
3 But I have [ch. 13:2;15:9] understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know ch. 16:2such things as these?
4 I am ch. 16:10;17:2,6;21:3;30:1a laughingstock to my friends;
I, who Ps. 91:15called to God and he answered me,
a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock.
5 In the thought of one who is ch. 3:18at ease there is contempt for misfortune;
it is ready for those whose feet slip.
6 See ch. 21:7The tents of robbers are at peace,
and those who provoke God are secure,
who bring their god in their hand.12:6 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
7 "But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
8 or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;12:8 Or or speak to the earth, and it will teach you
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
9 Who among all these does not know
that Isa. 41:20;[ch. 1:21]the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In Num. 16:22;Dan. 5:23;Acts 17:28his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of all mankind.
11 Does not ch. 34:3the ear test words
as the palate tastes food?
12 Wisdom is with ch. 32:7;[Ps. 119:100]the aged,
and understanding in length of days.
13 [ch. 9:4;36:5]"With God12:13 Hebrew him are wisdom and might;
he has counsel and understanding.
14 If he tears down, none can rebuild;
if he ch. 11:10;[Isa. 22:22;Rev. 3:7]shuts a man in, none can open.
15 If he [Deut. 11:17;1 Kgs. 8:35;17:1] withholds the waters, they dry up;
if he [Gen. 7:11-24;Ps. 147:18;Amos 9:6]sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
16 With him are strength and [ch. 5:12]sound wisdom;
the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leads [2 Sam. 17:23] counselors away stripped,
and ch. 9:24;Isa. 40:23;[Isa. 29:14;44:25;1 Cor. 1:19]judges he makes fools.
18 He Ps. 116:16looses the bonds of kings
and binds a waistcloth on their hips.
19 He leads priests away stripped
and overthrows the mighty.
20 He deprives of speech those who are trusted
[ch. 32:9]and takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 He Ps. 107:40pours contempt on princes
and loosens the belt of the strong.
22 He Dan. 2:22;1 Cor. 4:5uncovers the deeps out of darkness
and brings See ch. 3:5deep darkness to light.
23 He Isa. 9:3;26:15makes nations great, and he destroys them;
he enlarges nations, and [2 Kgs. 18:11]leads them away.
24 He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth
and Ps. 107:40;[ch. 6:18]makes them wander in a trackless waste.
25 They See ch. 5:14grope in the dark without light,
and he makes them Ps. 107:27;Isa. 19:14stagger like a drunken man.