12 Job’s reply:
2 “Yes, I realize you know everything! All wisdom will die with you! 3 Well, I know a few things myself—you are no better than I am. And who doesn’t know these things you’ve been saying? 4 I, the man who begged God for help, and God answered him, have become a laughingstock to my neighbors. Yes, I, a righteous man, am now the man they scoff at. 5 Meanwhile, the rich mock those in trouble and are quick to despise all those in need. 6 For robbers prosper. Go ahead and provoke God—it makes no difference! He will supply your every need anyway!
7-9 “Who doesn’t know that the Lord does things like that? Ask the dumbest beast—he knows that it is so; ask the birds—they will tell you; or let the earth teach you, or the fish of the sea. 10 For the soul of every living thing is in the hand of God, and the breath of all mankind. 11 Just as my mouth can taste good food, so my mind tastes truth when I hear it. 12 And as you say, older men like me[a] are wise. They understand. 13 But true wisdom and power are God’s. He alone knows what we should do; he understands.
14 “And how great is his might! What he destroys can’t be rebuilt. When he closes in on a man, there is no escape. 15 He withholds the rain, and the earth becomes a desert; he sends the storms and floods the ground. 16 Yes, with him is strength and wisdom. Deceivers and deceived are both his slaves.
17 “He makes fools of counselors and judges. 18 He reduces kings to slaves and frees their servants. 19 Priests are led away as slaves. He overthrows the mighty. 20 He takes away the voice of orators and the insight of the elders. 21 He pours contempt upon princes and weakens the strong. 22 He floods the darkness with light, even the dark shadow of death. 23 He raises up a nation and then destroys it. He makes it great, and then reduces it to nothing. 24-25 He takes away the understanding of presidents and kings, and leaves them wandering, lost and groping, without a guiding light.
Footnotes
- Job 12:12 older men like me, implied.