Job 11

1 And Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

Then Sophar the Minaean answered and said,

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

6 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!

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

20 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.

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