1 And Job answered and said,
2 No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
3 But I have a heart as well as you; I am not inferior to you; and who shall not be able to say as much again?
4 He who invokes God and he answers him is mocked by his friend; the just and perfect man is laughed to scorn.
5 The torch is held in low esteem in the thought of him that is prosperous, which was prepared to guard against a slip of the feet.
6 The tents of robbers are at ease, and those that provoke God and those who carry gods in their hands live secure.
7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the heavens, and they shall show thee;
8 or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; the fishes of the sea shall declare it unto thee also.
9 What thing of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord made them?
10 In his hand is the soul of every living thing and the spirit of all flesh of man.
11 Certainly the ear proves words and the mouth tastes foods.
12 With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days intelligence.
13 With him is wisdom and strength; he has counsel and intelligence.
14 Behold, he shall break down, and it shall not be built again; he shall shut up a man, and no one shall be able to open unto him.
15 Behold, he shall withhold the waters, and they shall dry up; also he shall send them forth, and they shall destroy the earth.
16 With him is strength and existence; he who errs and he who leads astray are his.
17 He causes the counsellors to walk away stripped of counsel and makes the judges to be fools.
18 He looses the bond of kings and girds their loins with a girdle.
19 He leads priests away spoiled and overthrows the mighty.
20 He impedes the lips of those that speak the truth and takes away the counsel of the aged.
21 He pours contempt upon princes and weakens the strength of the mighty.
22 He uncovers the depths of the darkness and brings out to light the shadow of death.
23 He multiplies the Gentiles and destroys them; he scatters the Gentiles and gathers them again.
24 He takes away the heart of the heads of the people of the earth and causes them to become lost, wandering without a way.
25 They grope in the darkness and not the light, and he causes them to err like drunken men.