A senselessmanhasnoknowledge,Nordoes a stupidmanunderstandthis:
O LORD,howmanyare Your works!In wisdomYou have madethem all;The earthis fullof Your possessions.
I will givethanksto You, for I am fearfullyand wonderfullymade; Wonderfulare Your works,And my soulknowsit verywell.
The foolhas saidin his heart,"Thereis noGod."They are corrupt,they have committedabominabledeeds;Thereis noonewho doesgood.
Do not be as the horseor as the mulewhich havenounderstanding,Whose trappingsinclude bitand bridleto holdthem in check,[Otherwise] they will not comenearto you.
For he sees[that even] wisemendie;The stupidand the senselessalikeperishAnd leavetheir wealthto others.
Then I was senselessand ignorant;I was [like] a beastbeforeYou.
"I saidto the boastful,'Do not boast,'And to the wicked,Do not liftup the horn;
Payheed,you senselessamong the people;And whenwill you understand,stupidones?
"Howlong,O naiveones,will you lovebeing simple-minded?And scoffersdelightthemselves in scoffingAnd foolshateknowledge?
Wisdomis [too] exaltedfor a fool,He does not openhis mouthin the gate.
SurelyI am morestupidthananyman,And I do not have the understandingof a man.
"An oxknowsits owner,And a donkeyits master'smanger,[But] Israeldoes not know,My peopledo not understand."
Thisalsocomesfrom the LORDof hosts,[Who] has made[His] counselwonderfuland [His] wisdomgreat.
"For [as] the heavensare higherthanthe earth,Soare My wayshigherthanyour waysAnd My thoughtsthanyour thoughts.
Everymanis stupid,devoidof knowledge;Everygoldsmithis putto shameby his idols;For his moltenimagesare deceitful,And there is nobreathin them.
greatin counseland mightyin deed,whoseeyesare opento allthe waysof the sonsof men,givingto everyoneaccording to his waysand according to the fruitof his deeds;
"But Godsaidto him, 'You fool!This[very] nightyour soulis requiredof you; and [now] whowill own whatyou have prepared?'
But a naturalmandoes not acceptthe things of the Spiritof God,for they are foolishnessto him; and he cannotunderstandthem, becausethey are spirituallyappraised.
