¶ Iob is vn••ustly reprehended of Sophar. God is incom∣prehensyble: He is mercyfull to the rep••••tou••••.
CAPI. XI.
THen answered Sophar the Naamathite [unspec A] and sayde: Shulde not he that maketh many wordes, be answered? Shulde he that bableth moche, be cōmended therin? Sulde men gyue eare vnto the onely? Thou wyite laugh other men to scorne, and shal no body mocke the agayne? Wylte thou say vn∣to God: The thynge that I take in hande is perfyte, and I am cleane in thy syght? O that god wolde speake, & open his lyppes agaynst the, that he myght shew the (out of his secret wysdome) why he rewardeth the double as he was appoynted to do: then shuldest thou knowe, that God had forgotten the, bycause of thy synne.
Arte thou able to fynde out the secretes of [unspec B] god? or wylt thou atteyne to the perfitenes of the almyghtie? He is hygher thē heuen, what arte thou able to do? Deper then the hel, how wylte thou then know hym? His length exce∣deth the length of the earth: and his bredth / the bredth of the see. Though he turne al thus ges vpside downe, close them in, gather them togyther, who wyll turne hym from his pur∣pose? ❀ (Or vvho maye saye vnto hym, vvhy doest thou so?) For it is he that knoweth the vanite of men, he seeth theyr wyckednes also shulde he not then consydre it? A vayne body exalteth hym selfe, & man newe borne is lyke a wylde asses colte. If thou had dest nowe a right hert, & lyftedst vp thyne hand{is} towarde hym: yf thou woldest put away the wycked∣nesse which thou hast in hande, so that no vn godlynesse dwell in thy house.
Then myghtest thou lyfte vp thy face [unspec C] without shame, & then shuldest thou be sure, & haue no nede to feare. Then shuldest thou forget thy mysery, and thynke no more vpon it then vpon the waters that runne by. Then shulde the residue of thy lyfe be as cleare / as the noone day, and spryng forth as the mor∣nynge. Then myghtest thou haue cōforte, in the hope that thou hast: & slepe quietly, when thou art buried. Then shuldest thou take thy rest, & no man to make the afrayde▪ yea many one shuld set moch by the. As for the eyes of the vngodly, they shalbe cōsumed, & not scape theyr hope shalbe misery & sorowe of mynde.