CHAPTER 12
1 Soothly Job answered, and said,
2 And ye therefore be men alone, and wisdom dwell with you?
3 And to me is an heart, as and to you, and I am not lower than ye; for who knoweth not these things, which ye know?
4 He that is scorned of his friend, as I am, shall inwardly call God, and God shall hear him; for the simpleness of a just [or rightwise] man is scorned.
5 And a lamp is despised at the thoughts of rich men, the which lamp is made ready to a time ordained.
6 The tabernacles of robbers be plenteous [or abound], either full of goods; and boldly they stir God to wrath, when he hath given all things into their hands.
7 No wonder, ask thou [the] beasts, and they shall teach thee; and ask thou[the] birds of the air, and they shall show to thee.
8 Speak to the earth, and it shall answer thee; and the fishes of the sea shall tell those things.
9 Who knoweth not that the hand of the Lord made all these things?
10 In whose hand the soul is of each living thing, and the spirit of each flesh of man.
11 Whether the ear deemeth not words, and the cheeks of the eater deem savour, or the taste of meat?
12 Wisdom is in eld [or old] men, and prudence is in much time.
13 Wisdom and strength is with God; he hath counsel and understanding.
14 If he destroyeth, there is no man that buildeth; if he shutteth in a man, there is none that openeth.
15 If he holdeth altogether waters, all things shall be made dry; and if he sendeth out those waters, they shall destroy the earth.
16 Strength and wisdom is with God; he knoweth both him that deceiveth and him that is deceived.
17 And he bringeth counsellors into a fond [or foolish] end, and judges into wondering, either astonishing.
18 He unbindeth the girdle of kings, and girdeth their reins with a cord.
19 He leadeth their priests without glory, and he deceiveth the principal men;
20 and he changeth the lips of sooth-fast men, and taketh away the doctrine of eld [or old] men.
21 He sheddeth [or poureth] out despising on princes, and relieveth them, that were oppressed.
22 He showeth deep things from darknesses; and he bringeth forth into light the shadow of death.
23 He multiplieth folks, and he loseth them; and he restoreth them, when they be destroyed, into whole number.
24 He changeth the heart of [the] princes of the people of [the] earth; and deceiveth them, that they go in vain out of the way.
25 They shall grope, as in darknesses, and not in light; and he shall make them to err as drunken men.