| 1 | And Job answereth and saith: -- |
| 2 | Truly—ye [are] the people, And with you doth wisdom die. |
| 3 | I also have a heart like you, I am not fallen more than you, And with whom is there not like these? |
| 4 | A laughter to his friend I am: 'He calleth to God, and He answereth him,' A laughter [is] the perfect righteous one. |
| 5 | A torch—despised in the thoughts of the secure Is prepared for those sliding with the feet. |
| 6 | At peace are the tents of spoilers, And those provoking God have confidence, He into whose hand God hath brought. |
| 7 | And yet, ask, I pray thee, [One of] the beasts, and it doth shew thee, And a fowl of the heavens, And it doth declare to thee. |
| 8 | Or talk to the earth, and it sheweth thee, And fishes of the sea recount to thee: |
| 9 | 'Who hath not known in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath done this? |
| 10 | In whose hand [is] the breath of every living thing, And the spirit of all flesh of man.' |
| 11 | Doth not the ear try words? And the palate taste food for itself? |
| 12 | With the very aged [is] wisdom, And [with] length of days understanding. |
| 13 | With Him [are] wisdom and might, To him [are] counsel and understanding. |
| 14 | Lo, He breaketh down, and it is not built up, He shutteth against a man, And it is not opened. |
| 15 | Lo, He keepeth in the waters, and they are dried up, And he sendeth them forth, And they overturn the land. |
| 16 | With Him [are] strength and wisdom, His the deceived and deceiver. |
| 17 | Causing counsellors to go away a spoil, And judges He maketh foolish. |
| 18 | The bands of kings He hath opened, And He bindeth a girdle on their loins. |
| 19 | Causing ministers to go away a spoil And strong ones He overthroweth. |
| 20 | Turning aside the lip of the stedfast, And the reason of the aged He taketh away. |
| 21 | Pouring contempt upon princes, And the girdle of the mighty He made feeble. |
| 22 | Removing deep things out of darkness, And He bringeth out to light death-shade. |
| 23 | Magnifying the nations, and He destroyeth them, Spreading out the nations, and He quieteth them. |
| 24 | Turning aside the heart Of the heads of the people of the land, And he causeth them to wander In vacancy—no way! |
| 25 | They feel darkness, and not light, He causeth them to wander as a drunkard. |