And escape is perished from them,

And their hope vanishes before a puff of breath.

CHAP. XII.

1 AND Job spake and said,

2 Verify ye are deep,

And wisdom shall die with you.

3 I also have understanding, like you,

I am not your inferior,

And who knoweth not such things as these?

4 But shall I be the mocker of his neighbours,
Who called upon GOD, and he answered him,
"Let the righteous mock at the perfect ?"

5 As a contemptible torch, to the splendours of the prosperous,

Is he who is ready to slip with his foot.

6 While the tents of the destroyers are at peace,
And they who provoke GoD are in safety,

To whom God bringeth (abundance) in his hand.

7 But ask now the beasts, and they will teach thee, And the birds of heaven, and they will tell thee;

8 Or the reptiles of the earth, and they will inform thee, And the fish of the sea shall declare unto thee;

9 Who among all these knoweth not,

That the hand of JEHOVAH made them?

10 In whose hand is the breath of all living, And the spirits of all flesh of man.

11 Doth not the ear try words?

And the palate taste food for itself?

12 Is wisdom in the ancient ?

And discernment in length of days?

13 With him is wisdom and strength, Counsel and discernment are his.

14 Behold he pulleth down, and none shall rebuild ; He shutteth against a man, and none shall open;

15 He restraineth the waters, and they dry up,

He sendeth them forth, and they overturn the earth.

16 With him is strength and reality,

Error* and deception are at his command.

17 Who leadeth counsellors captive, And maketh judges reel;+

18 Who looseth the bond of kings, And bindeth a girdle on their loins:

19 Who leadeth princes captives, And overthroweth the mighty:

20 Who stoppeth the lips of the trusty,

And taketh away the discernment of the aged:

21 Who poureth contempt upon nobles,

And looseneth the girdle of the powerful:

22 Discovering deep things from darkness, And bringing out to light the shades of death:

23 Exalting the nations, and destroying them; Scattering the people, and fixing them :

* Error-That which causes to err.

+ Reel. Stagger, and run about like madmen.

24 Taking away understanding from the chiefs of the

people,

And making them wander in a desert without road:

25 They grope in the dark, and find no light, They are bewildered like a drunken man.

CHAP. XIII.

1 BEHOLD mine eye hath seen all this,
Mine ear hath heard, and discerned it for itself.

2 Like your knowledge, I also know

I am not your inferior.

3 I desire earnestly to speak to the ALMIGHTY, I should rejoice to reason with GOD.*

4 But ye are stupid, stringers of lies, Worthless physicians, all of ye.

* Nevertheless I will speak to the Almighty, It is my pleasure to reason with GOD.

5 O that ye would meditate in silence! And it should be to you for wisdom.

6 Hear now my reasoning,

And attend to the pleadings of my lips.

7 Will ye say unrighteous things for GOD? And for him will ye speak deceit?

8 Will ye lift up his face?*

Or will ye contend for him?

9 Will it be well when he searcheth you out, If you have trifled with him, like trifling with a man?

10 Severely will he rebuke ye,
If in secret ye judge unjustly.†

11 Doth not his majesty alarm you? And the dread of him fall on you?

12 Your maxims are parables of ashes, Your swelling words are heaps of mire.