Jó 12

¹ Then Iob answered, and sayde,

² No doubt but ye [are] the people, andBecause you do not feel what you speak, you think the whole stands in words, and so flatter yourselves as though no one else knew anything, or could know except you.wisdom shall die with you.

³ But I haue vnderstanding aswel as you, and am not inferior vnto you: yea, who knoweth not such things?

⁴ I amHe reproves his friends for two faults: one, that they thought they had better knowledge than they did: and the other, that instead of true consolation, they derided and despised their friend in his adversity.[as] one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and heWho being a mocker and a wicked man, thinks that no man is in God's favour but he, because he has all things that he desires.answereth him: the just upright [man is] laughed to scorn.

⁵ As the rich do not esteem a light or torch that goes out, so he despised he that falls from prosperity to adversity.He that is ready to slip with [his] feet [is as] a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

⁶ The tabernacles of robbers doe prosper, and they are in safetie, that prouoke God, whome God hath enriched with his hand.

⁷ But ask now the beasts,He declares to them that disputed against him, that their wisdom is common to all, and such as the very brute beasts teach daily.and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

⁸ Or speake to the earth, and it shall shewe thee: or the fishes of the sea, and they shall declare vnto thee.

⁹ Who is ignorant of all these, but that the hande of the Lord hath made these?

¹⁰ In whose hande is the soule of euery liuing thing, and the breath of all mankinde.

¹¹ Doth not the earHe exhorts them to be wise in judging, and as well to know the right use of their God-given ears, as well as their mouths.try words? and the mouth taste his meat?

¹² With theThough men by age and continuance of time attain wisdom, yet it is not comparable to God's wisdom, nor able to comprehend his judgments, in which he answers to that which was alleged, (Job_8:8).ancient [is] wisdom; and in length of days understanding.

¹³ With him is wisedome and strength: he hath counsell and vnderstanding.

¹⁴ Beholde, he will breake downe, and it can not be built: he shutteth a man vp, and he can not be loosed.

¹⁵ Beholde, he withholdeth the waters, and they drie vp: but when he sendeth them out, they destroy the earth.

¹⁶ With him [is] strength and wisdom: the deceived and theHe shows that there is nothing done in this world without God's will and ordinance, else he would not be Almighty.deceiver [are] his.

¹⁷ He causeth the counsellers to goe as spoyled, and maketh the iudges fooles.

¹⁸ He takes wisdom from them.He loosethHe abates the humour of princes, and brings them into the subjection of others.the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.

¹⁹ He leadeth away the princes as a pray, and ouerthroweth the mightie.

²⁰ He removeth away the speech of theHe causes their words to have no credit, which is when he will punish sin.trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.

²¹ He powreth contempt vpon princes, and maketh the strength of the mightie weake.

²² He discouereth the deepe places from their darkenesse, and bringeth foorth the shadowe of death to light.

²³ HeIn this discourse of God's wonderful works, Job shows that whatever is done in this world both in the order and change of things, is by God's will and appointment, in which he declares that he thinks well of God, and is able to set forth his power in words as they that reasoned against him were.increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them [again].

²⁴ He taketh away the heartes of the that are the chiefe ouer the people of the earth, & maketh them to wander in the wildernes out of the way.

²⁵ They grope in the darke without light: and he maketh the to stagger like a drunken ma.