Iyov 12

1. And Iyov answered and said,

2. Doubtless then ye are the people, and chochmah shall die with you.

3. But I have levav (understanding) as well as you; I am not inferior to you; yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

4. I am as a laughingstock to his neighbor: The man who calleth upon Eloah [they say of me], and He answereth him! [To them I am] a laughingstock, the tzaddik, the tamim (blameless one)!

5. Those at ease have buz (contempt) for a downfall which awaits the one whose regel is slipping.

6. The ohalim of shodedim (robbers) remain in peace; they that defy El are secure, who Eloah brought forth by His yad.

7. But ask now the behemot, and they shall teach thee, and the oph haShomayim (birds of the air), and they shall tell thee;

8. Or speak to ha’aretz, and it shall teach thee; and the dagim of the yam shall declare unto thee.

9. Of all of these, who lacketh da’as that the yad Hashem hath wrought this?

10. In whose yad is the nefesh of every living thing, and the ruach of kol basar ish.

11. Doth not the ozen (ear) test words? And the mouth tastes its ochel?

12. With the ancient ones is chochmah; and in orech yamim (length of days) is binah (understanding).

13. With Him is chochmah and gevurah; He hath etzah and understanding.

14. See, what He tears down cannot be reconstructed; He shutteth up an ish, and there can be no prison release.

15. See, He withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; also He sendeth them out, and they overturn eretz.

16. With Him is oz (strength) and tushiyyah (true wisdom); the deceived and the deceiver are His.

17. He leadeth yoatzim (counsellors) away stripped, and maketh the shofetim (judges) fools.

18. He looseth the shackle of melachim (kings), and girdeth their loins with loincloth.

19. He leadeth kohanim away stripped, and overthroweth the mighty.

20. He removeth the speech of the ne’emanim (trusted ones), and taketh away the understanding of the zekenim.

21. He poureth buz (contempt) upon nobles, and loosens the belt of the mighty.

22. He uncovers the depths of choshech, and bringeth tzalmavet to light.

23. He giveth prosperity to the Goyim, and then destroyeth them; He enlargeth them, and then carrieth the Goyim away.

24. He taketh away the lev (understanding) of the Rashei Am HaAretz, and sendeth them to tohu lo derech (trackless wilderness).

25. They grope in the choshech without ohr, and He maketh them to stagger like a shikkor (drunken man).