Job 12

_1-2Yes, you are the voice of the people.

When you die, wisdom will die with you.

₃But I have as much sense as you have;

I am in no way inferior to you;

everyone knows all that you have said.

₄Even my friends laugh at me now;

they laugh, although I am righteous and blameless;

but there was a time when God answered my prayers.

₅You have no troubles, and yet you make fun of me;

you hit someone who is about to fall.

₆But thieves and godless people live in peace,

though their only god is their own strength.

₇Even birds and animals have much they could teach you;

₈ask the creatures of earth and sea for their wisdom.

₉All of them know that the LORD's hand made them.

₁₀It is God who directs the lives of his creatures;

everyone's life is in his power.

₁₁But just as your tongue enjoys tasting food,

your ears enjoy hearing words.

_12-13Old people have wisdom,

but God has wisdom and power.

Old people have insight;

God has insight and power to act.

₁₄When God tears down, who can rebuild,

and who can free those God imprisons?

₁₅Drought comes when God withholds rain;

floods come when he turns water loose.

₁₆God is strong and always victorious;

both deceived and deceiver are in his power.

₁₇He takes away the wisdom of rulers

and makes leaders act like fools.

₁₈He dethrones kings and makes them prisoners;

₁₉he humbles priests and men of power.

₂₀He silences those who are trusted,

and takes the wisdom of old people away.

₂₁He disgraces those in power

and puts an end to the strength of rulers.

₂₂He sends light to places dark as death.

₂₃He makes nations strong and great,

but then he defeats and destroys them.

₂₄He makes their leaders foolish

and lets them wander confused and lost;

₂₅they grope in the dark and stagger like drunkards.