| Chapter 12 |
1 | And Job made answer and said,
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2 | No doubt you have knowledge, and wisdom will come to an end with you.
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3 | But I have a mind as well as you; I am equal to you: yes, who has not knowledge of such things as these?
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4 | It seems that I am to be as one who is a cause of laughing to his neighbour, one who makes his prayer to God and is answered! the upright man who has done no wrong is to be made sport of!
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5 | In the thought of him who is in comfort there is no respect for one who is in trouble; such is the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
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6 | There is wealth in the tents of those who make destruction, and those by whom God is moved to wrath are safe; even those whose god is their strength.
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7 | But put now a question to the beasts, and get teaching from them; or to the birds of the heaven, and they will make it clear to you;
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8 | Or to the things which go flat on the earth, and they will give you wisdom; and the fishes of the sea will give you news of it.
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9 | Who does not see by all these that the hand of the Lord has done this?
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10 | In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all flesh of man.
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11 | Are not words tested by the ear, even as food is tasted by the mouth?
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12 | Old men have wisdom, and a long life gives knowledge.
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13 | With him there is wisdom and strength; power and knowledge are his.
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14 | Truly, there is no building up of what is pulled down by him; when a man is shut up by him, no one may let him loose.
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15 | Truly, he keeps back the waters and they are dry; he sends them out and the earth is overturned.
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16 | With him are strength and wise designs; he who is guided into error, together with his guide, are in his hands;
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17 | He takes away the wisdom of the wise guides, and makes judges foolish;
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18 | He undoes the chains of kings, and puts his band on them;
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19 | He makes priests prisoners, overturning those in safe positions;
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20 | He makes the words of responsible persons without effect, and takes away the good sense of the old;
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21 | He puts shame on chiefs, and takes away the power of the strong;
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22 | Uncovering deep things out of the dark, and making the deep shade bright;
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23 | Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.
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24 | He takes away the wisdom of the rulers of the earth, and sends them wandering in a waste where there is no way.
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25 | They go feeling about in the dark without light, wandering without help like those overcome with wine.
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