Job 12

 ¹And Job answered and said,

 ²No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

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

 ⁴I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.

 ⁵He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

 ⁶The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

 ⁷But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

 ⁸Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

 ⁹Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?

 ¹⁰In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

 ¹¹Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?

 ¹²With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.

 ¹³With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.

 ¹⁴Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.

 ¹⁵Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

 ¹⁶With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.

 ¹⁷He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.

 ¹⁸He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.

 ¹⁹He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.

 ²⁰He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.

 ²¹He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

 ²²He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

 ²³He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.

 ²⁴He 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.

 ²⁵They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.