Job 12

וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Job answered:

And Job answered and said,

אָ֭מְנָם כִּ֣י אַתֶּם־עָ֑ם וְ֝עִמָּכֶ֗ם תָּמ֥וּת חָכְמָֽה׃

“Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die!

No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

גַּם־לִ֤י לֵבָ֨ב ׀ כְּֽמוֹכֶ֗ם לֹא־נֹפֵ֣ל אָנֹכִ֣י מִכֶּ֑ם וְאֶת־מִי־אֵ֥ין כְּמוֹ־אֵֽלֶּה׃

But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?

But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

שְׂחֹ֤ק לְרֵעֵ֨הוּ ׀ אֶֽהְיֶ֗ה קֹרֵ֣א לֶ֭אֱלוֹהַּ וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑הוּ שְׂ֝ח֗וֹק צַדִּ֥יק תָּמִֽים׃

I am a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God, and He answered. The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.

I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.

לַפִּ֣יד בּ֭וּז לְעַשְׁתּ֣וּת שַׁאֲנָ֑ן נָ֝כ֗וֹן לְמ֣וֹעֲדֵי רָֽגֶל׃

The one at ease scorns misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.

He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

יִשְׁלָ֤יוּ אֹֽהָלִ֨ים ׀ לְשֹׁ֥דְדִ֗ים וּֽ֭בַטֻּחוֹת לְמַרְגִּ֣יזֵי אֵ֑ל לַאֲשֶׁ֤ר הֵבִ֖יא אֱל֣וֹהַּ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃

The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure—those who carry their god in their hands.

The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁאַל־נָ֣א בְהֵמ֣וֹת וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וְע֥וֹף הַ֝שָּׁמַ֗יִם וְיַגֶּד־לָֽךְ׃

But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

א֤וֹ שִׂ֣יחַ לָאָ֣רֶץ וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וִֽיסַפְּר֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ דְּגֵ֣י הַיָּֽם׃

Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you.

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

מִ֭י לֹא־יָדַ֣ע בְּכָל־אֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֥י יַד־יְ֝הוָה עָ֣שְׂתָה זֹּֽאת׃

Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?

Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?

אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּ֭יָדוֹ נֶ֣פֶשׁ כָּל־חָ֑י וְ֝ר֗וּחַ כָּל־בְּשַׂר־אִֽישׁ׃

The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.

In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

הֲלֹא־אֹ֭זֶן מִלִּ֣ין תִּבְחָ֑ן וְ֝חֵ֗ךְ אֹ֣כֶל יִטְעַם־לֽוֹ׃

Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes its food?

Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?

בִּֽישִׁישִׁ֥ים חָכְמָ֑ה וְאֹ֖רֶךְ יָמִ֣ים תְּבוּנָֽה׃

Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.

With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.

עִ֭מּוֹ חָכְמָ֣ה וּגְבוּרָ֑ה ל֝֗וֹ עֵצָ֥ה וּתְבוּנָֽה׃

Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.

With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.

הֵ֣ן יַ֭הֲרוֹס וְלֹ֣א יִבָּנֶ֑ה יִסְגֹּ֥ר עַל־אִ֝֗ישׁ וְלֹ֣א יִפָּתֵֽחַ׃

What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.

Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.

הֵ֤ן יַעְצֹ֣ר בַּמַּ֣יִם וְיִבָ֑שׁוּ וִֽ֝ישַׁלְּחֵ֗ם וְיַ֖הַפְכוּ אָֽרֶץ׃

If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.

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

עִ֭מּוֹ עֹ֣ז וְתֽוּשִׁיָּ֑ה ל֝֗וֹ שֹׁגֵ֥ג וּמַשְׁגֶּֽה׃

True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.

With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.

מוֹלִ֣יךְ יוֹעֲצִ֣ים שׁוֹלָ֑ל וְֽשֹׁפְטִ֥ים יְהוֹלֵֽל׃

He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.

He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.

מוּסַ֣ר מְלָכִ֣ים פִּתֵּ֑חַ וַיֶּאְסֹ֥ר אֵ֝ז֗וֹר בְּמָתְנֵיהֶֽם׃

He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists.

He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.

מוֹלִ֣יךְ כֹּהֲנִ֣ים שׁוֹלָ֑ל וְאֵֽתָנִ֣ים יְסַלֵּֽף׃

He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.

He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.

מֵסִ֣יר שָׂ֭פָה לְנֶאֱמָנִ֑ים וְטַ֖עַם זְקֵנִ֣ים יִקָּֽח׃

He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.

He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.

שׁוֹפֵ֣ךְ בּ֭וּז עַל־נְדִיבִ֑ים וּמְזִ֖יחַ אֲפִיקִ֣ים רִפָּֽה׃

He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.

He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

מְגַלֶּ֣ה עֲ֭מֻקוֹת מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵ֖א לָא֣וֹר צַלְמָֽוֶת׃

He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.

He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

מַשְׂגִּ֣יא לַ֭גּוֹיִם וַֽיְאַבְּדֵ֑ם שֹׁטֵ֥חַ לַ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם וַיַּנְחֵֽם׃

He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.

He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.

מֵסִ֗יר לֵ֭ב רָאשֵׁ֣י עַם־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם בְּתֹ֣הוּ לֹא־דָֽרֶךְ׃

He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.

He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

יְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וְלֹא־א֑וֹר וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם כַּשִּׁכּֽוֹר׃

They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.

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