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 God*12:13 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.