Job 11

¹Forsothe Sophar Naamathites answeride, and seide,

²Whether he, that spekith many thingis, schal not also here? ether whethir a man ful of wordis schal be maad iust?

³Schulen men be stille to thee aloone? whanne thou hast scorned othere men, schalt thou not be ouercomun of ony man?

⁴For thou seidist, My word is cleene, and Y am cleene in thi siyt.

⁵And `Y wolde, that God spak with thee, and openyde hise lippis to thee;

⁶to 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.

⁷In hap thou schalt comprehende the steppis of God, and thou schalt fynde Almyyti God `til to perfeccioun.

⁸He is hiyere than heuene, and what schalt thou do? he is deppere than helle, and wherof schalt thou knowe?

⁹His mesure is lengere than erthe, and brodere than the see.

¹⁰If he distrieth alle thingis, ethir dryueth streitli `in to oon, who schal ayenseie hym? Ethir who may seie to hym, Whi doest thou so?

¹¹For he knowith the vanyte of men; and whether he seynge byholdith not wickidnesse?

¹²A veyn man is reisid in to pride; and gessith hym silf borun fre, as the colt of a wilde asse.

¹³But thou hast maad stidefast thin herte, and hast spred abrood thin hondis to hym.

¹⁴If thou doest awei `fro thee the wickidnesse, which is in thin hond, and vnriytfulnesse dwellith not in thi tabernacle,

¹⁵thanne thou schalt mowe reise thi face with out wem, and thou schalt be stidefast, and thou schalt not drede.

¹⁶And thou schalt foryete wretchidnesse, and thou schalt not thenke of it, as of watris that han passid.

¹⁷And as myddai schynynge it schal reise to thee at euentid; and whanne thou gessist thee wastid, thou schalt rise vp as the dai sterre.

¹⁸And thou schalt haue trist, while hope schal be set forth to thee; and thou biried schalt slepe sikurli.

¹⁹Thou schalt reste, and `noon schal be that schal make thee aferd; and ful many men schulen biseche thi face.

²⁰But the iyen of wickid men schulen faile; and socour schal perische fro hem, and the hope of hem schal be abhominacyioun of soule.

Job 11

¹Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

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

³Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

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

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

⁶And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

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

⁸It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?

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

¹⁰If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him?

¹¹For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?

¹²For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass’s colt.

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

¹⁴If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.

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

¹⁶Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:

¹⁷And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.

¹⁸And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.

¹⁹Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee.

²⁰But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.