Job 11:1–6

¹¹¶ Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

¹THEN answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

¹⁹Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

²How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.

¹⁹In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

¹⁸Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

³Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?

²How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?

¹¹Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

²Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?

¹⁴And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

¹⁷I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation.

⁴I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.

⁴But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.

⁹Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?

²Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?

³Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?

³Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.

²⁵And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?

⁷What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?

¹⁸How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

¹⁶With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

¹⁶Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord.

⁸Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

⁷Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

¹⁰Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.

¹⁵But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

⁴Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

⁵For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.

⁶Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.

²Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?

²⁹Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it.

³⁰Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?

²⁰I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?

²I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

³If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

¹THEN the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

²Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

³Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!

⁴I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

⁵I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.

⁶Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.

⁷There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.

³⁵Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.

⁶Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay.

⁷Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.

⁸Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,

⁹I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.

¹⁰Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy,

¹¹He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.

¹²Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.

¹³Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.

¹⁴For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.

¹⁵In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;

¹⁶Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,

¹⁷That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

¹⁸He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.

¹MOREOVER the Lord answered Job, and said,

²Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

³¶ Then Job answered the Lord, and said,

⁴Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.

⁵Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.

⁸Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

⁷¶ And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.

¹³And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;

²²¶ It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

²⁸But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;

⁵Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

³⁵That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

⁸Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?

⁴⁷The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.

²⁹The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

¹¹Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?

⁵For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.

⁴He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

¹⁴The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

²⁵Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

²⁶But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

⁹But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

¹⁰But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

¹¹For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

¹⁰He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

⁴³Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.

⁴⁴Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:

⁴⁵And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.

⁴⁶He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.

²⁸And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.