1 Then Job answered and said:
2 “No doubt you are the people,
and wisdom will die with you.
3 But I haveb[ch. 13:2; 15:9] understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not knowcch. 16:2 such things as these?
4 I amdch. 16:10; 17:2, 6; 21:3; 30:1 a laughingstock to my friends;
I, whoePs. 91:15 called to God and he answered me,
a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock.
5 In the thought of one who isfch. 3:18 at ease there is contempt for misfortune;
it is ready for those whose feet slip.
6 gSee ch. 21:7 The tents of robbers are at peace,
and those who provoke God are secure,
who bring their god in their hand.
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,1Or speak to the earth and they will teach you;
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
9 Who among all these does not know
thathIsa. 41:20; [ch. 1:21] the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 IniNum. 16:22; Dan. 5:23; Acts 17:28 his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of all mankind.
11 Does notjch. 34:3 the ear test words
as the palate tastes food?
12 Wisdom is withkch. 32:7; [Ps. 119:100] the aged,
and understanding in length of days.
13 l[ch. 9:4; 36:5] With God are wisdom and might;
he has counsel and understanding.
14 If he tears down, none can rebuild;
if hemch. 11:10; [Isa. 22:22; Rev. 3:7] shuts a man in, none can open.
15 If hen[Deut. 11:17; 1 Kgs. 8:35; 17:1] withholds the waters, they dry up;
if heo[Gen. 7:11-24; Ps. 147:18; Amos 9:6] sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
16 With him are strength andp[ch. 5:12] sound wisdom;
the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leadsq[2 Sam. 17:23] counselors away stripped,
andrch. 9:24; Isa. 40:23; [Isa. 29:14; 44:25; 1 Cor. 1:19] judges he makes fools.
18 HesPs. 116:16 looses 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
t[ch. 32:9] and takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 HeuPs. 107:40 pours contempt on princes
and loosens the belt of the strong.
22 HevDan. 2:22; 1 Cor. 4:5 uncovers the deeps out of darkness
and bringswSee ch. 3:5 deep darkness to light.
23 HexIsa. 9:3; 26:15 makes nations great, and he destroys them;
he enlarges nations, andy[2 Kgs. 18:11] leads them away.
24 He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth
andzPs. 107:40; [ch. 6:18] makes them wander in a pathless waste.
25 TheyaSee ch. 5:14 grope in the dark without light,
and he makes thembPs. 107:27; Isa. 19:14 stagger like a drunken man.