Job 12:2–5

²¹Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

¹⁰We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

⁵I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?

¹²For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass’s colt.

²Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?

⁶And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

²Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?

¹⁰But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you.

⁴For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.

³I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.

⁷I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.

⁸But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

⁹Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.

¹⁰Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will shew mine opinion.

¹¹Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say.

¹²Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words:

¹³Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man.

²⁴Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.

²⁵How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?

⁸For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:

⁹(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)

¹⁰Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?

¹¹The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.

²What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.

³Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

⁴But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.

⁵O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.

²¹I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.

²²Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

²³Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

⁴Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

⁵For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

²How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength?

³How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom? and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is?

⁶Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

⁷The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.

¹BUT now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.

⁶He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret.

³Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.

¹⁵He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

³Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

¹⁰They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.

²Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?

⁷All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

⁸He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

³²¶ And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

³⁶And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

³Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

²⁰My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.

²⁹Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it.

¹⁴And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

⁴⁰And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

²⁹¶ And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

⁷Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

²He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.

¹⁶With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

⁸And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

⁹The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

⁵Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

¹WOE to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

²Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

³Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;

⁴That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;

⁵That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;

⁶That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

³⁵To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.

¹⁶Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.

⁴I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.

⁵Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.

⁵Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?

¹⁹And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

¹⁹¶ There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

²⁰And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

²⁰Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

³Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

⁴Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

¹⁸When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.