< Job 11 >
1 Forsothe Sophar Naamathites answeride, and seide,
And Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 Whether he, that spekith many thingis, schal not also here? ether whethir a man ful of wordis schal be maad iust?
Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man of much talk be justified?
3 Schulen men be stille to thee aloone? whanne thou hast scorned othere men, schalt thou not be ouercomun of ony man?
Should thy fictions make men hold their peace? and shouldest thou mock, and no one make [thee] ashamed?
4 For thou seidist, My word is cleene, and Y am cleene in thi siyt.
For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.
5 And `Y wolde, that God spak with thee, and openyde hise lippis to thee;
But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;
6 to schewe to thee the priuetees of wisdom, and that his lawe is manyfold, and thou schuldist vndurstonde, that thou art requirid of hym to paie myche lesse thingis, than thi wickidnesse disserueth.
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 In hap thou schalt comprehende the steppis of God, and thou schalt fynde Almyyti God `til to perfeccioun.
Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection?
8 He is hiyere than heuene, and what schalt thou do? he is deppere than helle, and wherof schalt thou knowe? (Sheol )
[It is as] the heights of heaven; what wilt thou do? deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know? (Sheol )
9 His mesure is lengere than erthe, and brodere than the see.
The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.
10 If he distrieth alle thingis, ethir dryueth streitli `in to oon, who schal ayenseie hym? Ethir who may seie to hym, Whi doest thou so?
If he pass by, and shut up, and call to judgment, who can hinder him?
11 For he knowith the vanyte of men; and whether he seynge byholdith not wickidnesse?
For he knoweth vain men, and seeth wickedness when [man] doth not consider it;
12 A veyn man is reisid in to pride; and gessith hym silf borun fre, as the colt of a wilde asse.
Yet a senseless man will make bold, though man be born [like] the foal of a wild ass.
13 But thou hast maad stidefast thin herte, and hast spred abrood thin hondis to hym.
If thou prepare thy heart and stretch out thy hands toward him,
14 If thou doest awei `fro thee the wickidnesse, which is in thin hond, and vnriytfulnesse dwellith not in thi tabernacle,
If thou put far away the iniquity which is in thy hand, and let not wrong dwell in thy tents;
15 thanne thou schalt mowe reise thi face with out wem, and thou schalt be stidefast, and thou schalt not drede.
Surely then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot, and thou shalt be stedfast and shalt not fear:
16 And thou schalt foryete wretchidnesse, and thou schalt not thenke of it, as of watris that han passid.
For thou shalt forget misery; as waters that are passed away shalt thou remember it;
17 And as myddai schynynge it schal reise to thee at euentid; and whanne thou gessist thee wastid, thou schalt rise vp as the dai sterre.
And life shall arise brighter than noonday; though thou be enshrouded in darkness, thou shalt be as the morning,
18 And thou schalt haue trist, while hope schal be set forth to thee; and thou biried schalt slepe sikurli.
And thou shalt have confidence, because there shall be hope; and having searched about [thee], thou shalt take rest in safety.
19 Thou schalt reste, and `noon schal be that schal make thee aferd; and ful many men schulen biseche thi face.
Yea, thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; and many shall seek thy favour.
20 But the iyen of wickid men schulen faile; and socour schal perische fro hem, and the hope of hem schal be abhominacyioun of soule.
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.