² “No doubt you are the people,
    and wisdom will die with you.
³ But I have understanding as well as you;
    I am not inferior to you.
    Who does not know such things as these?
⁴ I am a laughingstock to my friends;
    I, who called upon God and he answered me,
    a just and blameless man, I am a laughingstock.^(A)
5 Those at ease have contempt for misfortune,^[a]
    but it is ready for those whose feet are unstable.^(B)
6 The tents of robbers are at peace,
    and those who provoke God are secure,
    who bring their god in their hands.^[b](C)

¹³ “With God^[a] are wisdom and strength;
    he has counsel and understanding.^(A)
14 If he tears down, no one can rebuild;
    if he shuts someone in, no one can open up.^(B)
15 If he withholds the waters, they dry up;
    if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.^(C)
16 With him are strength and wisdom;
    the deceived and the deceiver are his.^(D)
17 He leads counselors away stripped
    and makes fools of judges.^(E)
18 He looses the sash of kings
    and binds a waistcloth on their loins.^(F)
19 He leads priests away stripped
    and overthrows the mighty.
²⁰ He deprives of speech those who are trusted
    and takes away the discernment of the elders.^(G)
21 He pours contempt on princes
    and looses the belt of the strong.^(H)
22 He uncovers deep things from the darkness
    and brings deep darkness to light.^(I)
23 He makes nations great, then destroys them;
    he enlarges nations, then leads them away.^(J)
24 He strips understanding from the leaders^[b] of the earth
    and makes them wander in a pathless waste.^(K)
25 They grope in the dark without light;
    he makes them stagger like a drunkard.^(L)