1 Then Job answered and said,
2 "Truly indeed you [are the] people, and wisdom will die with you. 3 {I also have insight} like you; I am not more inferior than you. And {who does not know things like these}?
4 I am a laughingstock to my friends: '[He] calls on God, and he answers him.' A righteous, blameless man [is] a laughingstock. 5 {Those at ease have contempt} for [the] thought of {disaster}, [but it is] ready for those unstable of foot. 6 [The] tents of [the] destroyers are at peace, and [there is] security for those who provoke God, [for those] whom God brings into his hand.
7 "But ask [the] animals, and they will teach you, and the birds of the heaven, and they will tell you; 8 or ask the earth, and it will teach you, and the fishes of the sea will declare to you. 9 Who among all of these does not know that Yahweh's hand has done this? 10 In whose hand [is] the life of all living things and {the breath of every human being}? 11 Does not [the] ear test words and [the] palate taste food for itself? 12 Wisdom [is] with [the] aged, and understanding [is in] length of days.
13 "With him [are] wisdom and powerful deeds, and to him [belong] counsel and understanding. 14 If he tears down, then it will not be rebuilt; if he shuts a man in, then he cannot be freed. 15 Look, [if] he withholds the water, then they dry up; and [if] he sends them out, then they overwhelm [the] land. 16 "Strength and sound wisdom [are] with him; [the] deceived and [the] deceiver [are] his. 17 He leads counselors away stripped, and he makes fools of judges. 18 He loosens [the] fetters of kings, and he binds a loincloth on their loins. 19 He leads priests away stripped, and he overthrows {the members of ancient families}. 20 He deprives [the] trustworthy of speech, and he takes away [the] discretion of elders. 21 He pours contempt on noblemen, and he loosens [the] girdle of [the] mighty. 22 "He uncovers mysteries out of darkness, and he brings deep shadow to the light. 23 He makes the nations great, then he destroys them; he expands the nations, then he guides them. 24 He strips [away] the insight of the heads of the earth's people, and he makes them wander in {a pathless wasteland}. 25 They grope [in] the dark {without} light, and he makes them stagger like a drunkard.