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Job 11-13
New King James Version
Job 11-13
New King James Version
Zophar Urges Job to Repent
11 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2 “Should not the multitude of words be answered?
And should [a]a man full of talk be vindicated?
3 Should your empty talk make men [b]hold their peace?
And when you mock, should no one rebuke you?
4 For you have said,
(A)‘My doctrine is pure,
And I am clean in your eyes.’
5 But oh, that God would speak,
And open His lips against you,
6 That He would show you the secrets of wisdom!
For they would double your prudence.
Know therefore that (B)God [c]exacts from you
Less than your iniquity deserves.
7 “Can(C) you search out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?
8 They are higher than heaven—what can you do?
Deeper than [d]Sheol—what can you know?
9 Their measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.
10 “If(D) He passes by, imprisons, and gathers to judgment,
Then who can [e]hinder Him?
11 For (E)He knows deceitful men;
He sees wickedness also.
Will He not then consider it?
12 For an (F)empty-headed man will be wise,
When a wild donkey’s colt is born a man.
13 “If you would (G)prepare your heart,
And (H)stretch out your hands toward Him;
14 If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away,
And (I)would not let wickedness dwell in your tents;
15 (J)Then surely you could lift up your face without spot;
Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear;
16 Because you would (K)forget your misery,
And remember it as waters that have passed away,
17 And your life (L)would be brighter than noonday.
Though you were dark, you would be like the morning.
18 And you would be secure, because there is hope;
Yes, you would dig around you, and (M)take your rest in safety.
19 You would also lie down, and no one would make you afraid;
Yes, many would court your favor.
20 But (N)the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And they shall not escape,
And (O)their hope—[f]loss of life!”
Job Answers His Critics
12 Then Job answered and said:
2 “No doubt you are the people,
And wisdom will die with you!
3 But I have [g]understanding as well as you;
I am not (P)inferior to you.
Indeed, who does not know such things as these?
4 “I(Q) am one mocked by his friends,
Who (R)called on God, and He answered him,
The just and blameless who is ridiculed.
5 A [h]lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease;
It is made ready for (S)those whose feet slip.
6 (T)The tents of robbers prosper,
And those who provoke God are secure—
In what God provides by His hand.
7 “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
9 Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
10 (U)In whose hand is the [i]life of every living thing,
And the (V)breath of [j]all mankind?
11 Does not the ear test words
And the [k]mouth taste its food?
12 Wisdom is with aged men,
And with [l]length of days, understanding.
13 “With Him are (W)wisdom and strength,
He has counsel and understanding.
14 If (X)He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt;
If He imprisons a man, there can be no release.
15 If He (Y)withholds the waters, they dry up;
If He (Z)sends them out, they overwhelm the earth.
16 With Him are strength and prudence.
The deceived and the deceiver are His.
17 He leads counselors away plundered,
And makes fools of the judges.
18 He loosens the bonds of kings,
And binds their waist with a belt.
19 He leads [m]princes away plundered,
And overthrows the mighty.
20 (AA)He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 (AB)He pours contempt on princes,
And [n]disarms the mighty.
22 He (AC)uncovers deep things out of darkness,
And brings the shadow of death to light.
23 (AD)He makes nations great, and destroys them;
He [o]enlarges nations, and guides them.
24 He takes away the [p]understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth,
And (AE)makes them wander in a pathless wilderness.
25 (AF)They grope in the dark without light,
And He makes them (AG)stagger like a drunken man.
Job Defends Himself
13 “Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
2 (AH)What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
3 (AI)But I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to reason with God.
4 But you forgers of lies,
(AJ)You are all worthless physicians.
5 Oh, that you would be silent,
And (AK)it would be your wisdom!
6 Now hear my reasoning,
And heed the pleadings of my lips.
7 (AL)Will you speak [q]wickedly for God,
And talk deceitfully for Him?
8 Will you show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?
9 Will it be well when He searches you out?
Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man?
10 He will surely rebuke you
If you secretly show partiality.
11 Will not His [r]excellence make you afraid,
And the dread of Him fall upon you?
12 Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are defenses of clay.
13 “Hold[s] your peace with me, and let me speak,
Then let come on me what may!
14 Why (AM)do I take my flesh in my teeth,
And put my life in my hands?
15 (AN)Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
(AO)Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.
16 He also shall be my salvation,
For a (AP)hypocrite could not come before Him.
17 Listen carefully to my speech,
And to my declaration with your ears.
18 See now, I have prepared my case,
I know that I shall be (AQ)vindicated.
19 (AR)Who is he who will contend with me?
If now I hold my tongue, I perish.
Job’s Despondent Prayer
20 “Only(AS) two things do not do to me,
Then I will not hide myself from You:
21 (AT)Withdraw Your hand far from me,
And let not the dread of You make me afraid.
22 Then call, and I will (AU)answer;
Or let me speak, then You respond to me.
23 How many are my iniquities and sins?
Make me know my transgression and my sin.
24 (AV)Why do You hide Your face,
And (AW)regard me as Your enemy?
25 (AX)Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro?
And will You pursue dry stubble?
26 For You write bitter things against me,
And (AY)make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
27 (AZ)You put my feet in the stocks,
And watch closely all my paths.
You [t]set a limit for the [u]soles of my feet.
28 “Man[v] decays like a rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.
Footnotes
- Job 11:2 Lit. a man of lips
- Job 11:3 be silent
- Job 11:6 Lit. forgets some of your iniquity for you
- Job 11:8 The abode of the dead
- Job 11:10 restrain
- Job 11:20 Lit. the breathing out of life
- Job 12:3 Lit. a heart
- Job 12:5 Or disaster
- Job 12:10 Or soul
- Job 12:10 Lit. all flesh of men
- Job 12:11 palate
- Job 12:12 Long life
- Job 12:19 Lit. priests, but not in a technical sense
- Job 12:21 loosens the belt of
- Job 12:23 Lit. spreads out
- Job 12:24 Lit. heart
- Job 13:7 unrighteously
- Job 13:11 Lit. exaltation
- Job 13:13 Be silent
- Job 13:27 Lit. inscribe a print
- Job 13:27 Lit. roots
- Job 13:28 Lit. He
Job 11-13
New International Version
Job 11-13
New International Version
Zophar
11 Then Zophar the Naamathite(A) replied:
2 “Are all these words to go unanswered?(B)
Is this talker to be vindicated?(C)
3 Will your idle talk(D) reduce others to silence?
Will no one rebuke you when you mock?(E)
4 You say to God, ‘My beliefs are flawless(F)
and I am pure(G) in your sight.’
5 Oh, how I wish that God would speak,(H)
that he would open his lips against you
6 and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom,(I)
for true wisdom has two sides.
Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.(J)
7 “Can you fathom(K) the mysteries of God?
Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
8 They are higher(L) than the heavens(M) above—what can you do?
They are deeper than the depths below(N)—what can you know?(O)
9 Their measure(P) is longer than the earth
and wider than the sea.(Q)
10 “If he comes along and confines you in prison
and convenes a court, who can oppose him?(R)
11 Surely he recognizes deceivers;
and when he sees evil, does he not take note?(S)
12 But the witless can no more become wise
than a wild donkey’s colt(T) can be born human.[a](U)
13 “Yet if you devote your heart(V) to him
and stretch out your hands(W) to him,(X)
14 if you put away(Y) the sin that is in your hand
and allow no evil(Z) to dwell in your tent,(AA)
15 then, free of fault, you will lift up your face;(AB)
you will stand firm(AC) and without fear.(AD)
16 You will surely forget your trouble,(AE)
recalling it only as waters gone by.(AF)
17 Life will be brighter than noonday,(AG)
and darkness will become like morning.(AH)
18 You will be secure, because there is hope;
you will look about you and take your rest(AI) in safety.(AJ)
19 You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid,(AK)
and many will court your favor.(AL)
20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail,(AM)
and escape will elude them;(AN)
their hope will become a dying gasp.”(AO)
Job
12 Then Job replied:
2 “Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
and wisdom will die with you!(AP)
3 But I have a mind as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know all these things?(AQ)
4 “I have become a laughingstock(AR) to my friends,(AS)
though I called on God and he answered(AT)—
a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!(AU)
5 Those who are at ease have contempt(AV) for misfortune
as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.(AW)
6 The tents of marauders are undisturbed,(AX)
and those who provoke God are secure(AY)—
those God has in his hand.[b]
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,(AZ)
or the birds in the sky,(BA) and they will tell you;(BB)
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know(BC)
that the hand of the Lord has done this?(BD)
10 In his hand is the life(BE) of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.(BF)
11 Does not the ear test words
as the tongue tastes food?(BG)
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged?(BH)
Does not long life bring understanding?(BI)
13 “To God belong wisdom(BJ) and power;(BK)
counsel and understanding are his.(BL)
14 What he tears down(BM) cannot be rebuilt;(BN)
those he imprisons cannot be released.(BO)
15 If he holds back the waters,(BP) there is drought;(BQ)
if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.(BR)
16 To him belong strength and insight;(BS)
both deceived and deceiver are his.(BT)
17 He leads rulers away stripped(BU)
and makes fools of judges.(BV)
18 He takes off the shackles(BW) put on by kings
and ties a loincloth[c] around their waist.(BX)
19 He leads priests away stripped(BY)
and overthrows officials long established.(BZ)
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers
and takes away the discernment of elders.(CA)
21 He pours contempt on nobles(CB)
and disarms the mighty.(CC)
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness(CD)
and brings utter darkness(CE) into the light.(CF)
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;(CG)
he enlarges nations,(CH) and disperses them.(CI)
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;(CJ)
he makes them wander in a trackless waste.(CK)
25 They grope in darkness with no light;(CL)
he makes them stagger like drunkards.(CM)
13 “My eyes have seen all this,(CN)
my ears have heard and understood it.
2 What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you.(CO)
3 But I desire to speak to the Almighty(CP)
and to argue my case with God.(CQ)
4 You, however, smear me with lies;(CR)
you are worthless physicians,(CS) all of you!(CT)
5 If only you would be altogether silent!(CU)
For you, that would be wisdom.(CV)
6 Hear now my argument;
listen to the pleas of my lips.(CW)
7 Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf?
Will you speak deceitfully for him?(CX)
8 Will you show him partiality?(CY)
Will you argue the case for God?
9 Would it turn out well if he examined you?(CZ)
Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?(DA)
10 He would surely call you to account
if you secretly showed partiality.(DB)
11 Would not his splendor(DC) terrify you?
Would not the dread of him fall on you?(DD)
12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;
your defenses are defenses of clay.(DE)
13 “Keep silent(DF) and let me speak;(DG)
then let come to me what may.(DH)
14 Why do I put myself in jeopardy
and take my life in my hands?(DI)
15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope(DJ) in him;(DK)
I will surely[d] defend my ways to his face.(DL)
16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,(DM)
for no godless(DN) person would dare come before him!(DO)
17 Listen carefully to what I say;(DP)
let my words ring in your ears.
18 Now that I have prepared my case,(DQ)
I know I will be vindicated.(DR)
19 Can anyone bring charges against me?(DS)
If so, I will be silent(DT) and die.(DU)
20 “Only grant me these two things, God,
and then I will not hide from you:
21 Withdraw your hand(DV) far from me,
and stop frightening me with your terrors.(DW)
22 Then summon me and I will answer,(DX)
or let me speak, and you reply to me.(DY)
23 How many wrongs and sins have I committed?(DZ)
Show me my offense and my sin.(EA)
24 Why do you hide your face(EB)
and consider me your enemy?(EC)
25 Will you torment(ED) a windblown leaf?(EE)
Will you chase(EF) after dry chaff?(EG)
26 For you write down bitter things against me
and make me reap the sins of my youth.(EH)
27 You fasten my feet in shackles;(EI)
you keep close watch on all my paths(EJ)
by putting marks on the soles of my feet.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.