11:1And Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

11:2Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man of much talk be justified?

11:3Should thy fictions make men hold their peace? and shouldest thou mock, and no one make thee ashamed?

11:4For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.

11:5But oh that +God would speak, and open his lips against thee;

11:6And 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!

11:7Canst thou by searching find out +God? canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection?

11:8It is as the heights of heaven; what wilt thou do? deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know?

11:9The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

11:10If he pass by, and shut up, and call to judgment, who can hinder him?

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

11:12Yet a senseless man will make bold, though man be born like the foal of a wild ass.

11:13If thou prepare thy heart and stretch out thy hands toward him,

11:14If thou put far away the iniquity which is in thy hand, and let not wrong dwell in thy tents;

11:15Surely then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot, and thou shalt be stedfast and shalt not fear:

11:16For thou shalt forget misery; as waters that are passed away shalt thou remember it;

11:17And life shall arise brighter than noonday; though thou be enshrouded in darkness, thou shalt be as the morning,

11:18And thou shalt have confidence, because there shall be hope; and having searched about thee, thou shalt take rest in safety.

11:19Yea, thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; and many shall seek thy favour.

11:20But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and all refuge shall vanish from them, and their hope shall be the breathing out of life.

12:1And Job answered and said,

12:2Truly ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you!

12:3I also have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you; and who knoweth not such things as these?

12:4I am to be one that is a derision to his friend, I who call upon +God, and whom he will answer: a derision is the just upright man.

12:5He that is ready to stumble with the foot is a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

12:6The tents of desolators are in peace, and they that provoke *God are secure; into whose hand +God bringeth.

12:7But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowl of the heavens, and they shall tell thee;

12:8Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

12:9Who knoweth not in all these, that the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this?

12:10In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all flesh of man.

12:11Doth not the ear try words, as the palate tasteth food?

12:12With the aged is wisdom, and in length of days understanding.

12:13With him is wisdom and might; he hath counsel and understanding.

12:14Behold, he breaketh down, and it is not built again; he shutteth up a man, and there is no opening.

12:15Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; and he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

12:16With him is strength and effectual knowledge; the deceived and the deceiver are his.

12:17He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and judges maketh he fools;

12:18He weakeneth the government of kings, and bindeth their loins with a fetter;

12:19He leadeth priests away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty;

12:20He depriveth of speech the trusty, and taketh away the judgment of the elders;

12:21He poureth contempt upon nobles, and slackeneth the girdle of the mighty;

12:22He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out into light the shadow of death;

12:23He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; he spreadeth out the nations, and bringeth them in;

12:24He taketh away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a pathless waste.

12:25They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunkard.

13:1Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it.

13:2What ye know, I know also: I am not inferior to you.

13:3But I will speak to the Almighty, and will find pleasure in reasoning with *God;

13:4For ye indeed are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.

13:5Oh that ye would be altogether silent! and it would be your wisdom.

13:6Hear now my defence, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.

13:7Will ye speak unrighteously for *God? and for him speak deceit?

13:8Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for *God?

13:9Will it be well if he should search you out? or as one mocketh at a man, will ye mock at him?

13:10He will certainly reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.

13:11Shall not his excellency terrify you? and his dread fall upon you?

13:12Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, your bulwarks are bulwarks of mire.

13:13Hold your peace from me, and I will speak, and let come on me what will!

13:14Wherefore should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand?

13:15Behold, if he slay me, yet would I trust in him; but I will defend mine own ways before him.

13:16This also shall be my salvation, that a profane man shall not come before his face.

13:17Hear attentively my speech and my declaration with your ears.

13:18Behold now, I have ordered the cause; I know that I shall be justified.

13:19Who is he that contendeth with me? For if I were silent now, I should expire.

13:20Only do not two things unto me; then will I not hide myself from thee.

13:21Withdraw thy hand far from me; and let not thy terror make me afraid:

13:22Then call, and I will answer; or I will speak, and answer thou me.

13:23How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin.

13:24Wherefore dost thou hide thy face, and countest me for thine enemy?

13:25Wilt thou terrify a driven leaf? and wilt thou pursue dry stubble?

13:26For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth;

13:27And thou puttest my feet in the stocks, and markest all my paths; thou settest a bound about the soles of my feet; --

13:28One who, as a rotten thing consumeth, as a garment that the moth eateth.