² Should not the multitude of words be answered?
And should a man full of talk be justified?
³ Should thy boastings make men hold their peace?
And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?
⁴ For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure,
And I am clean in thine eyes.
⁵ But oh that God would speak,
And open his lips against thee,
⁶ And that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom!
For he is manifold in understanding.
Know therefore that God ^[a]exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

^7 [b]Canst thou by searching find out God?
Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
^8 [c]It is high as heaven; what canst thou do?
Deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know?
⁹ The measure thereof is longer than the earth,
And broader than the sea.
¹⁰ If he pass through, and shut up,
And ^[d]all unto judgment, then who can hinder him?
¹¹ For he knoweth false men:
He seeth iniquity also, ^[e]even though he consider it not.
^12 [f]But vain man is void of understanding,
Yea, man is born as a wild ass’s colt.

¹³ If thou set thy heart aright,
And stretch out thy hands toward him;
¹⁴ If iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away,
And let not unrighteousness dwell in thy tents.
¹⁵ Surely then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot;
Yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:
¹⁶ For thou shalt forget thy misery;
Thou shalt remember it as waters that are passed away,
¹⁷ And thy life shall ^[g]be clearer than the noonday;
Though there be darkness, it shall be as the morning.
¹⁸ And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope;
Yea, thou shalt search about thee, and shalt take thy rest in safety.
¹⁹ Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid;
Yea, many shall make suit unto thee.
²⁰ But the eyes of the wicked shall fail,
And ^[h]they shall have no way to flee;
And their hope shall be the giving up of the ghost.