Job 11

1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

Forsothe Sophar Naamathites answeride, and seide,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6 And 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].

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.

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

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

8 [It is] as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? (Sheol h7585)

He is hiyere than heuene, and what schalt thou do? he is deppere than helle, and wherof schalt thou knowe? (Sheol h7585)

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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