1 ⲁϥⲉⲣⲟⲩⲱ ⲛϫⲉⲥⲱⲫⲁⲣ ⲡⲓⲙⲉⲛⲛⲉⲟⲥ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ϫⲉⲫⲏⲉⲧϫⲱ
Then Sophar the Minaean answered and said,
2 ⲛⲟⲩⲙⲏϣ ⲛⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲉϥⲉⲥⲱⲧⲉⲙ ⲉⲡⲟⲩⲟϩⲉⲙ ⲓⲥϫⲉ ⲫⲏⲉⲧⲥⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲛⲥⲁϫⲓ ϥⲙⲉⲩⲓ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ϫⲉⲟⲩⲑⲙⲏⲓ ⲡⲉ .
He that speaks much, should also hear on the other side: or does the fluent speaker think himself to be righteous? blessed is the short lived offspring of woman.
3 ϥⲥⲙⲁⲣⲱⲟⲩⲧ ⲛϫⲉⲫⲙⲓⲥⲓ ⲛⲟⲩⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ ⲉⲧⲟⲓ ⲛⲟⲩⲕⲟⲩϫⲓ ⲛⲱⲛϧ ⲭ ⲙⲡⲉⲣϣⲱⲡⲓ ⲉⲕⲟϣ ϧⲉⲛⲛⲉⲕⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲙⲙⲟⲛ ϩⲗⲓ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲉϥϭⲓϩⲁⲡ ⲟⲩⲃⲏⲕ .
Be not a speaker of many words; for is there none to answer thee?
4 ⲙⲡⲉⲣϫⲟⲥ ϫⲉϯⲧⲟⲩⲃⲏⲟⲩⲧ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ϯⲟⲓ ⲛⲁⲧⲁⲣⲓⲕⲓ ⲙⲡⲉϥⲙⲑⲟ .
For say not, I am pure in my works, and blameless before him.
5 ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲁⲣⲉ ⲡϭⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲛⲁⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲛⲉⲙⲁⲕ ⲛⲁϣ ⲛⲣⲏϯ ⲭ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛⲧⲉϥⲟⲩⲱⲛ ⲛⲛⲉϥⲥⲫⲟⲧⲟⲩ ⲛⲉⲙⲁⲕ .
But oh that the Lord would speak to thee, and open his lips to thee!
6 ϩⲓⲛⲁ ⲛⲧⲉϥⲧⲁⲙⲟⲕ ⲉⲧϫⲟⲙ ⲛⲧⲉⲟⲩⲥⲟⲫⲓⲁ ⲭ ϫⲉⲟⲩⲏⲓ ϥⲛⲁϣⲱⲡⲓ ⲉϥⲕⲏⲃ ⲉⲣⲟⲕ ⲭ ⲧⲟⲧⲉ ⲉⲕⲉⲉⲙⲓ ϫⲉⲉⲧⲁ ϩⲁⲛⲟⲩⲟⲛ ϣⲱⲡⲓ ⲛⲁⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲓⲧⲉⲛ ⲡϭⲟⲓⲥ ⲉⲩⲙⲡϣⲁ ⲛⲛⲓⲛⲟⲃⲓ ⲉⲧⲁⲕⲁⲓ .
Then shall he declare to thee the power of wisdom; for it shall be double of that which is with thee: and then shalt thou know, that a just recompence of thy sins has come to thee from the Lord.
7 ⲙⲏ ⲭⲛⲁϣϫⲓⲙⲓ ⲙⲡⲓⲙⲱⲓⲧ ⲛⲧⲉⲡϭⲟⲓⲥ ⲓⲉ ⲁⲕϣⲉ ⲁⲩⲣⲏϫⲟⲩ ⲛⲛⲏⲉⲧⲁϥⲑⲁⲙⲓⲱⲟⲩ ⲛϫⲉⲡⲓⲡⲁⲛⲧⲟⲕⲣⲁⲧⲱⲣ .
Wilt thou find out the traces of the Lord? or hast thou come to the end of that which the Almighty has made?
8 ⲥϭⲟⲥⲓ ⲛϫⲉⲧⲫⲉ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲟⲩ ⲡⲉ ⲉⲧⲉⲕⲛⲁⲁⲓϥ ⲭ ϩⲁⲛⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲇⲉ ⲡⲉ ⲉⲧⲉⲕⲥⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲙⲙⲱⲟⲩ ⲉⲩϣⲏⲕ ⲉϩⲟⲧⲉ ⲛⲏⲉⲧϧⲉⲛ ⲁⲙⲉⲛϯ .
Heaven is high; and what wilt thou do? and there are deeper things than those in hell; what dost thou know?
9 ⲓⲉ ⲉⲩϣⲏⲟⲩ ⲉϩⲟⲧⲉ ϯϣⲓⲏ ⲛⲧⲉⲡⲕⲁϩⲓ ⲓⲉ ⲉϩⲟⲧⲉ ⲡⲓⲟⲩⲟⲥⲑⲉⲛ ⲛⲧⲉⲫⲓⲟⲙ .
Or longer than the measure of the earth, or the breadth of the sea.
10 ⲉϣⲱⲡ ⲁϥϣⲁⲛⲟⲩⲱϫⲡ ⲛϩⲱⲃ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ ⲉϧⲣⲏⲓ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲉⲧⲛⲁϫⲟⲥ ⲛⲁϥ ϫⲉⲟⲩ ⲡⲉⲧⲉⲕⲁⲓϥ .
And if he should overthrow all things, who will say to him, What hast thou done?
11 ⲛⲑⲟϥ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲉⲧⲥⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲛⲛⲓϩⲃⲏⲟⲩⲓ ⲛⲧⲉⲛⲓⲁⲛⲟⲙⲟⲥ ⲁϥϣⲁⲛⲛⲁⲩ ⲇⲉ ⲉϩⲁⲛⲙⲉⲧⲁⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲙⲡⲁϥⲱⲃϣ ⲉⲣⲱⲟⲩ .
For he knows the works of transgressors; and when he sees wickedness, he will not overlook it.
12 ⲫⲣⲱⲙⲓ ⲇⲉ ⲉϥϩⲉⲗϩⲉⲗ ⲛⲕⲉⲣⲏϯ ϧⲉⲛϩⲁⲛⲥⲁϫⲓ: ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲟⲩϫⲫⲟ ⲛⲧⲉⲟⲩⲥϩⲓⲙⲓ ⲁϥⲟⲓ ⲛϩⲩⲥⲟⲥ ⲉⲟⲩⲓⲁⲛⲧⲱⲟⲩ .
But man vainly buoys himself up with words; and a mortal born of woman is like an ass in the desert.
13 ⲓⲥϫⲉ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲛⲑⲟⲕ ⲁⲕⲭⲱ ⲙⲡⲉⲕϩⲏⲧ ⲉϥⲧⲟⲩⲃⲏⲟⲩⲧ ⲉⲕⲉⲃⲁϣⲕ ⲇⲉ ⲙⲡⲓϭⲱϧⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲙⲡⲉⲕⲉⲣϩⲟϯ: ⲕϥⲁⲓ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲛⲉⲕϫⲓϫ ⲉⲡϣⲱⲓ ϩⲁⲣⲟϥ .
For if thou hast made thine heart pure, and liftest up thine hands towards him;
14 ⲓⲥϫⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲟⲩⲟⲛ ϩⲗⲓ ⲙⲙⲉⲧⲁⲛⲟⲙⲟⲥ ϧⲉⲛⲛⲉⲕϫⲓϫ ⲙⲁⲣⲉϥⲟⲩⲉⲓ ⲙⲙⲟⲕ: ⲙⲡⲉⲛⲑⲣⲉ ϩⲗⲓ ⲇⲉ ⲛϭⲓⲛϫⲟⲛⲥ ϣⲱⲡⲓ ϧⲉⲛⲡⲉⲕⲏⲓ .
if there is any iniquity in thy hands, put if far from thee, and let not unrighteousness lodge in thy habitation.
15 ⲡⲁⲓⲣⲏϯ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲉϥⲉⲉⲣⲟⲩⲱⲓⲛⲓ ⲛϫⲉⲡⲉⲕϩⲟ ⲙⲫⲣⲏϯ ⲛⲟⲩⲙⲱⲟⲩ ⲉϥⲧⲟⲩⲃⲏⲟⲩⲧ : ⲉⲕⲉⲃⲁϣⲕ ⲇⲉ ⲙⲡⲓϭⲱϧⲉⲙ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛⲛⲉⲕⲉⲣϩⲟϯ:
For thus shall thy countenance shine again, as pure water; and thou shalt divest thyself of uncleanness, and shalt not fear.
16 ⲡⲓϧⲓⲥⲓ ⲉⲕⲉⲉⲣⲡⲉϥⲱⲃϣ ⲙⲫⲣⲏϯ ⲛⲟⲩⲙⲱⲟⲩ ⲉⲁϥⲥⲓⲥⲓⲛⲓ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛⲛⲉⲕϣⲑⲟⲣⲧⲉⲣ .
And thou shalt forget trouble, as a wave that has passed by; and thou shalt not be scared.
17 ⲧⲉⲕⲉⲩⲭⲏ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲥⲉⲉⲣ ⲙⲫⲣⲏϯ ⲙⲡⲓⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲛⲧⲉϩⲁⲛⲁⲧⲟⲟⲩⲓ : ⲉϥⲉⲫⲓⲣⲓ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲁⲕ ⲛϫⲉⲟⲩⲱⲛϧ ⲓⲥϫⲉⲛ ϩⲁⲛⲁⲙⲉⲣⲓ .
And thy prayer shall be as the morning star, and life shall arise to thee as from the noonday.
18 ⲧⲟⲧⲉ ⲉⲕⲉⲭⲁ ϩⲑⲏⲕ ϫⲉⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲟⲩϩⲉⲗⲡⲓⲥ ϣⲟⲡ ⲛⲁⲕ:ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲇⲉ ϧⲉⲛⲟⲩⲣⲱⲟⲩϣ ⲛⲉⲙⲟⲩϩⲟϯ ⲉⲥⲉϣⲱⲡⲓ ⲛⲁⲕ ⲛϫⲉⲟⲩϩⲓⲣⲏⲛⲏ .
And thou shalt be confident, because thou hast hope; and peace shall dawn to thee from out of anxiety and care.
19 ⲉⲕⲉⲉⲣⲏⲥⲓⲭⲁⲍⲓⲛ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛⲛⲉϥϣⲱⲡⲓ ⲛϫⲉⲫⲏⲉⲧⲃⲱⲧⲥ ⲉⲣⲟⲕ : ⲉⲩⲉⲕⲟⲧⲟⲩ ⲇⲉ ⲛϫⲉϩⲁⲛⲙⲏϣ ⲉⲩⲉϯϩⲟ ⲉⲣⲟⲕ .
For thou shalt be at ease, and there shall be no one to fight against thee; and many shall charge, and make supplication to thee.
20 ⲡⲓⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ ⲇⲉ ⲉϥⲉⲭⲁⲩ ⲛⲥⲱⲟⲩ : ⲡⲧⲁⲕⲟ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲡⲉ ⲧⲟⲩϩⲉⲗⲡⲓⲥ : ⲛⲓⲃⲁⲗ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲛⲓⲁⲥⲉⲃⲏⲥ ⲉⲩⲉⲃⲱⲗ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ .
But safety shall fail them; for their hope is destruction, and the eyes of the ungodly shall waste away.