Job 11
1 Then Sophar the Minæan 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. 3 Be not a speaker of many
words; for is there none to answer thee?
4 For say not, I am pure in my works,
and blameless before him.
5 But oh that the Lord would speak to
thee, and open his lips with thee!
6 Then shall he declare to thee the
power of wisdom; for it shall be double of that which is with thee: and then
shalt thou know, that a just recompence of thy sins has come to thee from the
Lord.
7 Wilt thou find out the traces of the
Lord? or hast thou come to the end of that which the
Almighty has made? 8 Heaven
is high; and what wilt thou do? and there are deeper
things than those in hell; what dost thou know?
9 Or longer than the measure of the
earth, or the breadth of the sea.
10 And if he should overthrow all
things, who will say to him, What hast thou done?
11 For he knows the works of
transgressors; and when he sees wickedness, he will not overlook
it.
12 But man vainly buoys himself up
with words; and a mortal born of woman is like an ass
of the desert.
13 For if thou hast made thine heart
pure, and liftest up thine hands towards him;
14 if there is any iniquity in thy
hands, put it far from thee, and let not unrighteousness lodge in thy
habitation. 15 For thus shall thy
countenance shine again, as pure water; and thou shalt divest thyself of
uncleanness, and shalt not fear.
16 And thou shalt forget trouble, as
a wave that has passed by; and thou shalt not be scared.
17 And thy prayer
shall be as the morning star, and life shall arise to
thee as from the noon-day.
18 And thou shalt be confident,
because thou hast hope; and peace shall dawn to thee from out of anxiety and
care. 19 For thou shalt be at ease,
and there shall be no one to fight against thee; and many shall charge, and
make supplication to thee. 20 But
safety shall fail them; for their hope is destruction, and the eyes of the
ungodly shall waste away.