¹ Then responded Zophar the Naamathite, and said:—

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

³ Shall, thy pratings, cause men to hold their peace? When thou hast mocked, shall there be none to put thee to shame?

⁴ Since thou hast said, Right is my doctrine, and pure am I in his eyes.

⁵ But, in very deed, oh that GOD would speak, that he would open his lips with thee:

⁶ That he would declare to thee the secrets of wisdom, for they are double to that which actually is,—Know then that GOD could bring into forgetfulness for thee, a portion of thine iniquity.

⁷ The hidden depth of GOD canst thou discover? Or, unto the furthest limit of the Almighty, canst thou attain?

⁸ The heights of the heavens, what canst thou do? Depths deeper than hades, what canst thou know?

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

¹⁰ If he sweep on, or shut up, or call together, Who then shall hinder him?

¹¹ For, he, knoweth men of falsity, and seeth iniquity, and him that doth not diligently consider.

¹² But, an empty person, will get sense, when, a wild ass’s colt, is born a man!

¹³ If, thou, hast prepared thy heart, and wilt spread forth, unto him, thy hands—

¹⁴ If, iniquity, be in thy hand, Put it far away, and let there not dwell in thy tents perversity,

¹⁵ Surely, then, shalt thou lift up thy face free from blemish, and shalt be established, and not fear.

¹⁶ For, now, shalt thou forget, sorrow, Like waters passed away, shalt thou remember it.

¹⁷ Above high noon, shall rise life’s continuance, Darkness, like a morning, shall appear,

¹⁸ And thou shalt he confident, that there is hope, and, when thou hast searched, securely shalt thou lie down;

¹⁹ And shalt rest, with none to put thee in terror,—and many shall entreat thy favour.

²⁰ But, the eyes of the lawless, shall fail,—and, place of refuge, shall have vanished from them, and, their hope, be a breathing out of life.