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Job Responds to Zophar

¹ Then Job answered:² “Truly then you are the people, and wisdom will die with you!³ But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?⁴ I am a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God, and He answered. The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.⁵ The one at ease scorns misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.

⁶ The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure—those who carry their god in their hands.⁷ But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.⁸ Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you.⁹ Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?¹⁰ The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.¹¹ Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes its food?

¹² Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.¹³ Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.¹⁴ What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.¹⁵ If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.¹⁶ True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.¹⁷ He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.¹⁸ He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists.¹⁹ He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.²⁰ He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.²¹ He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.²² He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.²³ He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.²⁴ He deprives the earth's leaders of reason, and makes them wander a trackless wasteland.²⁵ They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.