Job 13:5

Myles Coverdale Bible

Wolde God ye kepte youre tonge, that ye might be taken for wyse men.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If only you would shut upand let that be your wisdom!

Hebrew Names Version
Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise.

King James Version
O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.

English Standard Version
Oh that you would keep silent, and it would be your wisdom!

New Century Version
I wish you would just stop talking; then you would really be wise!

New English Translation
If only you would keep completely silent! For you, that would be wisdom.

Amplified Bible
"Oh, that you would be completely silent, And that silence would be your wisdom!

New American Standard Bible
"Oh that you would be completely silent, And that it would become your wisdom!

World English Bible
Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Oh, that you woulde holde your tongue, that it might be imputed to you for wisedome!

Legacy Standard Bible
O that you would be completely silent,And that it would become your wisdom!

Berean Standard Bible
If only you would remain silent; for that would be your wisdom!

Contemporary English Version
The wisest thing you can do is to keep quiet

Complete Jewish Bible
I wish you would just stay silent; for you, that would be wisdom!

Darby Translation
Oh that ye would be altogether silent! and it would be your wisdom.

Easy-to-Read Version
I wish you would just be quiet. That would be the wisest thing you could do.

George Lamsa Translation
O that you would altogether keep silent! And it would serve you for wisdom.

Good News Translation
Say nothing, and someone may think you are wise!

Lexham English Bible
O that you would keep completely silent, and that it would become wisdom for you.

Literal Translation
Oh that you would stop speaking entirely; and it would be your wisdom!

American Standard Version
Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it would be your wisdom.

Bible in Basic English
If only you would keep quiet, it would be a sign of wisdom!

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it would be your wisdom.

King James Version (1611)
O that you would altogether hold your peace, & it should be your wisdome.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Woulde God ye kept your tongue, for then might ye be taken for wise men.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But would that ye were silent, and it would be wisdom to you in the end.

English Revised Version
Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And `Y wolde that ye weren stille, that ye weren gessid to be wise men.

Update Bible Version
Oh that you would altogether hold your peace! And it would be your wisdom.

Webster's Bible Translation
O that ye would altogether hold your peace and it would be your wisdom.

New King James Version
Oh, that you would be silent, And it would be your wisdom!

New Living Translation
If only you could be silent! That's the wisest thing you could do.

New Life Bible
If only you would be quiet, and that would show your wisdom!

New Revised Standard
If you would only keep silent, that would be your wisdom!

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Oh that ye would, altogether held your peace, and it should serve you for wisdom!

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I wish you would hold your peace, that you might be thought to be wise men.

Revised Standard Version
Oh that you would keep silent, and it would be your wisdom!

Young's Literal Translation
O that ye would keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"O that you would be completely silent, And that it would become your wisdom!

Contextual Overview

¹ Lo, all this haue I sene with myne eye, herde with myne eare, & vnderstonde it. ² Loke what ye knowe, that same do I knowe also, nether am I inferior vnto you. ³ Neuerthelesse I am purposed to talke with the Allmightie, and my desyre is to comon with God. ⁴ As for you, ye are workmasters of lyes: and vnprofitable Phisicians alltogether. ⁵ Wolde God ye kepte youre tonge, that ye might be taken for wyse men. ⁶ Therfore heare my wordes, and pondre the sentence of my lippes. ⁷ Will ye make answere for God with lyes, and mateyne him with disceate? ⁸ Wil ye accepte ye personne of God, and intreate for him? ⁹ Shal that helpe you, when he calleth you to rekenynge? Thynke ye to begyle him, as a man is begyled? ¹⁰ Punysh you shall he and reproue you, yf ye do secretly accepte eny personne.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Oh that ye, Job 13:13, Job 11:3, Job 16:3, Job 18:2, Job 19:2, Job 21:2, Job 21:3, Job 32:1

and it: Proverbs 17:28, Ecclesiastes 5:3, Amos 5:13, James 1:19

Reciprocal: Job 6:25 - what doth Job 15:3 - he reason Job 15:8 - thou restrain Job 15:17 - hear me Job 16:2 - heard Job 26:3 - counselled Job 32:16 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 4:20
And Ada bare Iabel, of whom came they that dwelt in tentes and had catell.

Genesis 25:27
And whan the boies were growne vp, Esau became an hunter, & an hußbande man. As for Iacob, he was a symple man, and dwelt in the tentes.

Jeremiah 49:29
Their tentes and their flockes shal they take awaye, yee their hanginges and their vessell. Their Camels also shall they carie awaye with them. They shall come aboute them on euery syde with a fearfull crie.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And that ye would altogether hold your peace,.... Since what they said of him was not true, nor anything to the purpose, or that tended to the comfort of his afflicted soul, but the reverse; and therefore he could have wished they had never broke silence, but continued as they were the first seven days of their visit; and now, since they had spoken, and had done no good by speaking, but hurt, he desires for the future they would be silent, and say no more:

and it should be your wisdom: it would be the greatest evidence of it they could give; they had shown none by speaking; it would be a proof of some in them, should they hold their peace; a very biting expression this see Proverbs 17:28.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! - You would show your wisdom by silence. Since you can say nothing that is adapted to give comfort, or to explain the true state of the case, it would be wise to say nothing; compare Proverbs 17:28 : “Even a fool when he holdeth his peace is counted wise.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 13:5. Hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom. — In Proverbs 17:28 we have the following apophtheym: "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise; and he that shutteth his lips, a man of understanding." There is no reason to say that Solomon quotes from Job: I have already expressed my opinion that the high antiquity attributed to this book is perfectly unfounded, and that there is much more evidence that Solomon was its author, than there is that it was the composition of Moses. But, whenever Job lived, whether before Abraham or after Moses, the book was not written till the time of Solomon, if not later. But as to the saying in question, it is a general apophthegm, and may be found among the wise sayings of all nations.

I may observe here, that a silent man is not likely to be a fool; for a fool will be always prating, or, according to another adage, a fool's bolt is soon shot. The Latins have the same proverb: Vir sapit, qui pauca loquitur, "A wise man speaks little."