Job 11

1 Then Sophar the Minaean answered and said,

And Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

2 He that speaks much, should also hear on the other side: or does the fluent speaker think himself to be righteous? blessed [is] the short lived offspring of woman.

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

3 Be not a speaker of many words; for is there none to answer you?

Should thy fictions make men hold their peace? and shouldest thou mock, and no one make [thee] ashamed?

4 For say not, I am pure in my works, and blameless before him.

For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.

5 But oh that the Lord would speak to you, and open his lips to you!

But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;

6 Then shall he declare to you the power of wisdom; for it shall be double of that which is with you: and then shall you know, that a just recompence of your sins has come to you from the Lord.

And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, how that they are the double of what is realised; and know that God passeth by [much] of thine iniquity!

7 Will you find out the traces of the Lord? or have you come to the end [of that] which the Almighty has made?

Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection?

8 Heaven [is] high; and what will you do? and there are deeper things than those in hell; what do you know? (Sheol h7585)

[It is as] the heights of heaven; what wilt thou do? deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know? (Sheol h7585)

9 Or longer than the measure of the earth, or the breadth of the sea.

The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

10 And if he should overthrow all things, who will say to him, What have you done?

If he pass by, and shut up, and call to judgment, who can hinder him?

11 For he knows the works of transgressors; and when he sees wickedness, he will not overlook [it].

For he knoweth vain men, and seeth wickedness when [man] doth not consider it;

12 But man vainly buoys himself up with words; and a mortal born of woman [is] like an ass in the desert.

Yet a senseless man will make bold, though man be born [like] the foal of a wild ass.

13 For if you have made your heart pure, and lift up [your] hands towards him;

If thou prepare thy heart and stretch out thy hands toward him,

14 if there is any iniquity in your hands, put if far from you, and let not unrighteousness lodge in your habitation.

If thou put far away the iniquity which is in thy hand, and let not wrong dwell in thy tents;

15 For thus shall your countenance shine again, as pure water; and you shall dive yourself of uncleanness, and shall not fear.

Surely then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot, and thou shalt be stedfast and shalt not fear:

16 And you shall forget trouble, as a wave that has passed by; and you shall not be scared.

For thou shalt forget misery; as waters that are passed away shalt thou remember it;

17 And your prayer [shall be] as the morning star, and life shall arise to you [as] from the noonday.

And life shall arise brighter than noonday; though thou be enshrouded in darkness, thou shalt be as the morning,

18 And you shall be confident, because you have hope; and peace shall dawn to you from out of anxiety and care.

And thou shalt have confidence, because there shall be hope; and having searched about [thee], thou shalt take rest in safety.

19 For you shall be at ease, and there shall be no one to fight against you; and many shall charge, and make supplication to you.

Yea, thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; and many shall seek thy favour.

20 But safety shall fail them; for their hope is destruction, and the eyes of the ungodly shall waste away.

But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and [all] refuge shall vanish from them, and their hope [shall be] the breathing out of life.