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12 ¶ And Job answered and said,

No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

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?

He who invokes God and he answers him is mocked by his friend; the just and perfect man is laughed to scorn.

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.

¶ The tents of robbers are at ease, and those that provoke God and those who carry gods in their hands live secure.

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the heavens, and they shall show thee;

or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; the fishes of the sea shall declare it unto thee also.

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.

Job svarar Sofar

12 Job svarade:

Ja, visst är ni kloka människor!
    All visdom kommer att dö ut med er!
Men jag har förstånd, likväl som ni.
    Jag är inte sämre än ni.
Vem vet inte redan det som ni säger?

Jag har blivit till åtlöje för mina vänner,
    jag som bad Gud om hjälp och som Gud svarade,
jag, en rättfärdig och fläckfri man,
    har gjorts till åtlöje.
Den bekymmerslöse som föraktar den som har problem
    kommer själv att snava.[a]
Rövare bor ostörda i sina tält,
    de som trotsar Gud lever i trygghet,
de som har sin gud i sin hand.[b]

Fråga boskapen,
    den kan undervisa dig.
Fråga fåglarna under himlen,
    de kan tala om det för dig.
Eller tala till jorden,
    så undervisar den dig,
eller till fiskarna i havet,
    så kan de berätta för dig.
Vem av dessa vet inte
    att det är Herrens hand som gjort detta?
10 För varje varelses liv är i Guds hand,
    och så är också varje människas ande.
11 Prövar inte örat orden,
    liksom tungan prövar matens smak?
12 Visst kommer visdom med åren
    och förstånd av ett långt liv.

13 Hos Gud finns visdom och kraft,
    hos honom finns råd och förstånd.
14 Vad han bryter ner kan inte byggas upp.
    Den han fångar kan inte fritas.
15 Han håller vattnen tillbaka
    och det blir torka,
släpper han dem lösa
    ödelägger de landet.
16 Hos honom finns styrka och förnuft.
    Både bedragaren och den bedragne måste böja sig för honom.
17 Han för bort rådgivare barfota
    och gör domare till dårar.
18 Han tar av kungarnas bojor
    och binder ett skynke kring deras höfter.
19 Präster leder han bort barfota.
    Han låter de mäktiga komma på fall.
20 Han tystar de betroddas tal
    och fråntar de gamla deras insikt.
21 Han öser förakt över furstar
    och avväpnar de starka.
22 Han avslöjar mörkrets hemligheter
    och för fram den djupa skuggan till ljuset.
23 Han gör nationer starka
    och bryter sedan ner dem.
Han gör nationer stora
    för att sedan skingra dem.
24 Han berövar jordens ledare förståndet
    och låter dem irra omkring i väglös ödemark.
25 De famlar i ett mörker utan ljus,
    och han låter dem ragla som druckna.

Footnotes

  1. 12:5 Versen är svårtolkad och kan ev. också översättas: Den bekymmerslöse föraktar dem som har problem och ser problemen som de snavandes öde.
  2. 12:6 Grundtextens innebörd är osäker i versens sista del.

Job Answers His Critics

12 Then Job answered and said:

“No doubt you are the people,
And wisdom will die with you!
But I have [a]understanding as well as you;
I am not (A)inferior to you.
Indeed, who does not know such things as these?

“I(B) am one mocked by his friends,
Who (C)called on God, and He answered him,
The just and blameless who is ridiculed.
A [b]lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease;
It is made ready for (D)those whose feet slip.
(E)The tents of robbers prosper,
And those who provoke God are secure—
In what God provides by His hand.

“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
10 (F)In whose hand is the [c]life of every living thing,
And the (G)breath of [d]all mankind?
11 Does not the ear test words
And the [e]mouth taste its food?
12 Wisdom is with aged men,
And with [f]length of days, understanding.

13 “With Him are (H)wisdom and strength,
He has counsel and understanding.
14 If (I)He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt;
If He imprisons a man, there can be no release.
15 If He (J)withholds the waters, they dry up;
If He (K)sends them out, they overwhelm the earth.
16 With Him are strength and prudence.
The deceived and the deceiver are His.
17 He leads counselors away plundered,
And makes fools of the judges.
18 He loosens the bonds of kings,
And binds their waist with a belt.
19 He leads [g]princes away plundered,
And overthrows the mighty.
20 (L)He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 (M)He pours contempt on princes,
And [h]disarms the mighty.
22 He (N)uncovers deep things out of darkness,
And brings the shadow of death to light.
23 (O)He makes nations great, and destroys them;
He [i]enlarges nations, and guides them.
24 He takes away the [j]understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth,
And (P)makes them wander in a pathless wilderness.
25 (Q)They grope in the dark without light,
And He makes them (R)stagger like a drunken man.

Footnotes

  1. Job 12:3 Lit. a heart
  2. Job 12:5 Or disaster
  3. Job 12:10 Or soul
  4. Job 12:10 Lit. all flesh of men
  5. Job 12:11 palate
  6. Job 12:12 Long life
  7. Job 12:19 Lit. priests, but not in a technical sense
  8. Job 12:21 loosens the belt of
  9. Job 12:23 Lit. spreads out
  10. Job 12:24 Lit. heart

12 And Job answered and said,

No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.

He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?

10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

11 Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?

12 With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.

13 With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.

14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.

15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

16 With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.

17 He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.

18 He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.

19 He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.

20 He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.

21 He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

23 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.

24 He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

25 They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.