12:1 約伯回答說：
12:2 你們真是子民哪，你們死亡，智慧也就滅沒了。
12:3 但我也有聰明，與你們一樣，並非不及你們。你們所說的，誰不知道呢？
12:4 我這求告上帝、蒙他應允的人竟成了朋友所譏笑的；公義完全人竟受了人的譏笑。
12:5 安逸的人心裡藐視災禍；這災禍常常等待滑腳的人。
12:6 強盜的帳棚興旺，惹上帝的人穩固，上帝多將財物送到他們手中。
12:7 你且問走獸，走獸必指教你；又問空中的飛鳥，飛鳥必告訴你；
12:8 或與地說話，地必指教你；海中的魚也必向你說明。
12:9 看這一切，誰不知道是耶和華的手做成的呢？
12:10 凡活物的生命和人類的氣息都在他手中。
12:11 耳朵豈不試驗言語，正如上膛嘗食物嗎？
12:12 年老的有智慧；壽高的有知識。
12:13 在上帝有智慧和能力；他有謀略和知識。
12:14 他拆毀的，就不能再建造；他捆住人，便不得開釋。
12:15 他把水留住，水便枯乾；他再發出水來，水就翻地。
12:16 在他有能力和智慧，被誘惑的與誘惑人的都是屬他。
12:17 他把謀士剝衣擄去，又使審判官變成愚人。
12:18 他放鬆君王的綁，又用帶子捆他們的腰。
12:19 他把祭司剝衣擄去，又使有能的人傾敗。
12:20 他廢去忠信人的講論，又奪去老人的聰明。
12:21 他使君王蒙羞被辱，放鬆有力之人的腰帶。
12:22 他將深奧的事從黑暗中彰顯，使死蔭顯為光明。
12:23 他使邦國興旺而又毀滅；他使邦國開廣而又擄去。
12:24 他將地上民中首領的聰明奪去，使他們在荒廢無路之地漂流；
12:25 他們無光，在黑暗中摸索，又使他們東倒西歪，像醉酒的人一樣。
Then Job replied:
2 “Doubtless
you are the only people who matter,
and wisdom will die with you!
3 But I have a mind as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know all these things?
4 “I
have become a laughingstock to my friends,
though I called on God and he answered—
a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!
5 Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortune
as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
6 The tents of marauders are undisturbed,
and those who provoke God are secure—
those God has in his hand.
7 “But
ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord
has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.
11 Does not the ear test words
as the tongue tastes food?
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged?
Does not long life bring understanding?
13 “To
God belong wisdom and power;
counsel and understanding are his.
14 What he tears down cannot be rebuilt;
those he imprisons cannot be released.
15 If he holds back the waters, there is drought;
if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.
16 To him belong strength and insight;
both deceived and deceiver are his.
17 He leads rulers away stripped
and makes fools of judges.
18 He takes off the shackles put on by kings
and ties a loincloth around their waist.
19 He leads priests away stripped
and overthrows officials long established.
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers
and takes away the discernment of elders.
21 He pours contempt on nobles
and disarms the mighty.
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness
and brings utter darkness into the light.
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;
he enlarges nations, and disperses them.
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;
he makes them wander in a trackless waste.
25 They grope in darkness with no light;
he makes them stagger like drunkards.
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約伯面對朋友們的講話，心中好笑又好氣，因為他們自以為聰明、自以為有見地，真不知如何回他們，只好說一些反諷的話語，一方面吐吐心中的不平，另一方面也教訓這一群愚頑的人！
有時我們的生命也和約伯一樣，受到了一些冤屈和誤解，真希望上帝出來申冤與安慰，可是卻聽到一些人的冷嘲熱諷，甚是用鄙視漢輕看的眼光來對待我們，就像烏雲遮蔽一般，看不清楚將來的方向。當然這時候，真希望上帝能賜下智慧和能力給我們，好覺我們能突破！但是，我們還是不可以放棄對上帝的盼望，相信這是約伯能堅持到最後之原因。
當然約伯能對他的朋友說一些反諷的話，也是因為心中能然相信上帝，才可以生出的一種特別幽默。我們不要輕忽這樣的反諷，這是讓我們思考如何幫助約伯這樣處境的人的引導，因為他們多麼盼望上帝能真正為他們申冤呢！
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