12:1

וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר׃

Then Job answered and said:

12:2

אָמְנָם כִּי אַתֶּם־עָם וְעִמָּכֶם תָּמוּת חָכְמָה׃

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

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12:3

גַּם־לִי לֵבָב כְּמוֹכֶם לֹא־נֹפֵל אָנֹכִי מִכֶּם וְאֶת־מִי־אֵין כְּמוֹ־אֵלֶּה׃

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

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12:4

שְׂחֹק לְרֵעֵהוּ אֶהְיֶה קֹרֵא לֶאֱלוֹהַּ וַיַּעֲנֵהוּ שְׂחוֹק צַדִּיק תָּמִים׃

I am as one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbour, A man that called upon God, And He answered him; The just, the innocent man is a laughing-stock,

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12:5

לַפִּיד בּוּז לְעַשְׁתּוּת שַׁאֲנָן נָכוֹן לְמוֹעֲדֵי רָגֶל׃

A contemptible brand in the thought of him that is at ease, A thing ready for them whose foot slippeth.

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12:6

יִשְׁלָיוּ אֹהָלִים לְשֹׁדְדִים וּבַטֻּחוֹת לְמַרְגִּיזֵי אֵל לַאֲשֶׁר הֵבִיא אֱלוֹהַּ בְּיָדוֹ׃

The tents of robbers prosper, And they that provoke God are secure, In whatsoever God bringeth into their hand.

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12:7

וְאוּלָם שְׁאַל־נָא בְהֵמוֹת וְתֹרֶךָּ וְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וְיַגֶּד־לָךְ׃

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

12:8

אוֹ שִׂיחַ לָאָרֶץ וְתֹרֶךָּ וִיסַפְּרוּ לְךָ דְּגֵי הַיָּם׃

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

12:9

מִי לֹא־יָדַע בְּכָל־אֵלֶּה כִּי יַד־יְהוָה עָשְׂתָה זֹּאת׃

Who knoweth not among all these, That the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?

12:10

אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדוֹ נֶפֶשׁ כָּל־חָי וְרוּחַ כָּל־בְּשַׂר־אִישׁ׃

In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind.—

12:11

הֲלֹא־אֹזֶן מִלִּין תִּבְחָן וְחֵךְ אֹכֶל יִטְעַם־לוֹ׃

Doth not the ear try words, Even as the palate tasteth its food?

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12:12

בִּישִׁישִׁים חָכְמָה וְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים תְּבוּנָה׃

Is wisdom with aged men, And understanding in length of days?—

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12:13

עִמּוֹ חָכְמָה וּגְבוּרָה לוֹ עֵצָה וּתְבוּנָה׃

With Him is wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding.

12:14

הֵן יַהֲרוֹס וְלֹא יִבָּנֶה יִסְגֹּר עַל־אִישׁ וְלֹא יִפָּתֵחַ׃

Behold, He breaketh down, and it cannot be built again; He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.

12:15

הֵן יַעְצֹר בַּמַּיִם וְיִבָשׁוּ וִישַׁלְּחֵם וְיַהַפְכוּ אָרֶץ׃

Behold, He withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; Also He sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

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12:16

עִמּוֹ עֹז וְתוּשִׁיָּה לוֹ שֹׁגֵג וּמַשְׁגֶּה׃

With Him is strength and sound wisdom; The deceived and the deceiver are His.

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12:17

מוֹלִיךְ יוֹעֲצִים שׁוֹלָל וְשֹׁפְטִים יְהוֹלֵל׃

He leadeth counsellors away stripped, And judges maketh He fools.

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12:18

מוּסַר מְלָכִים פִּתֵּחַ וַיֶּאְסֹר אֵזוֹר בְּמָתְנֵיהֶם׃

He looseth the bond of kings, And bindeth their loins with a girdle.

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12:19

מוֹלִיךְ כֹּהֲנִים שׁוֹלָל וְאֵתָנִים יְסַלֵּף׃

He leadeth priests away stripped, And overthroweth the mighty.

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12:20

מֵסִיר שָׂפָה לְנֶאֱמָנִים וְטַעַם זְקֵנִים יִקָּח׃

He removeth the speech of men of trust, And taketh away the sense of the elders.

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12:21

שׁוֹפֵךְ בּוּז עַל־נְדִיבִים וּמְזִיחַ אֲפִיקִים רִפָּה׃

He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the belt of the strong.

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12:22

מְגַלֶּה עֲמֻקוֹת מִנִּי־חֹשֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵא לָאוֹר צַלְמָוֶת׃

He uncovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

12:23

מַשְׂגִּיא לַגּוֹיִם וַיְאַבְּדֵם שֹׁטֵחַ לַגּוֹיִם וַיַּנְחֵם׃

He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; He enlargeth the nations, and leadeth them away.

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12:24

מֵסִיר לֵב רָאשֵׁי עַם־הָאָרֶץ וַיַּתְעֵם בְּתֹהוּ לֹא־דָרֶךְ׃

He taketh away the heart of the chiefs of the people of the land, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

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12:25

יְמַשְׁשׁוּ־חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אוֹר וַיַּתְעֵם כַּשִּׁכּוֹר׃

They grope in the dark without light, And He maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.