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Zophar’s rebuke

11 Zophar from Naamah responded:

Should all these words go unanswered
    or a wordy man be justified?
Will your idle talk silence everyone;
    will you mock and not be put to shame?
You’ve said, “My teaching is pure,
    and I’m clean in God’s[a] eyes.”

Divine secrecy

But oh, that God would speak,
    open his lips against you
    and tell you secrets of wisdom;
        for sound insight has two sides.
Know that God lets some of your sin be forgotten.
Can you find the secret of God
    or find the extent of the Almighty?
They are higher than the heavens—what can you do?
    Deeper than the underworld[b]—what can you know?
Its measurement is longer than the earth
    and broader than the sea.
10 If God passes by, imprisons someone, and calls a trial,
    who can stop him?
11 He knows worthless people,
    sees sin, and certainly[c] takes note.
12 A stupid person becomes intelligent
    when a wild ass of a person is born tame.[d]

Abiding hope

13 If you make your mind resolute
        and spread your palms to him,
14     if you throw out the sin in your hands
        and don’t let injustice dwell in your tents,
15     then you will lift up your face without blemish;
        you will be secure and not fear.
16 You will forget trouble;
    you will remember it as water that flows past.
17 A life span will rise brighter than noon;
    darkness will be like morning.
18 You will be secure, for there is hope;
    you will look around and rest safely.
19 You will lie down without anyone to scare you;
    many will beg for your favor.
20 The eyes of the wicked will grow faint;
    flight has vanished from them;
    their hope is a dying gasp.

Footnotes

  1. Job 11:4 Or your
  2. Job 11:8 Heb Sheol
  3. Job 11:11 Or does not
  4. Job 11:12 Or a wild ass’s colt can be born a man

11 Then Zophar, the Naamathite, answered,

“Shouldn’t the multitude of words be answered?
    Should a man full of talk be justified?
Should your boastings make men hold their peace?
    When you mock, will no man make you ashamed?
For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure.
    I am clean in your eyes.’
But oh that God would speak,
    and open his lips against you,
that he would show you the secrets of wisdom!
    For true wisdom has two sides.
    Know therefore that God exacts of you less than your iniquity deserves.

“Can you fathom the mystery of God?
    Or can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
They are high as heaven. What can you do?
    They are deeper than Sheol.[a] What can you know?
Its measure is longer than the earth,
    and broader than the sea.
10 If he passes by, or confines,
    or convenes a court, then who can oppose him?
11 For he knows false men.
    He sees iniquity also, even though he doesn’t consider it.
12 An empty-headed man becomes wise
    when a man is born as a wild donkey’s colt.

13 “If you set your heart aright,
    stretch out your hands toward him.
14 If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away.
    Don’t let unrighteousness dwell in your tents.
15 Surely then you will lift up your face without spot.
    Yes, you will be steadfast, and will not fear,
16     for you will forget your misery.
    You will remember it like waters that have passed away.
17 Life will be clearer than the noonday.
    Though there is darkness, it will be as the morning.
18 You will be secure, because there is hope.
    Yes, you will search, and will take your rest in safety.
19 Also you will lie down, and no one will make you afraid.
    Yes, many will court your favor.
20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail.
    They will have no way to flee.
    Their hope will be the giving up of the spirit.”

Footnotes

  1. 11:8 Sheol is the place of the dead.

11 1-2 Will no one answer all this nonsense?
    Does talking so much put you in the right?
Job, do you think we can't answer you?
    That your mocking words will leave us speechless?
You claim that what you say is true;
    you claim you are pure in the sight of God.
How I wish God would answer you!
He would tell you there are many sides to wisdom;
    there are things too deep for human knowledge.
God is punishing you less than you deserve.

Can you discover the limits and bounds
    of the greatness and power of God?
The sky is no limit for God,
    but it lies beyond your reach.
God knows the world of the dead,
    but you do not know it.
God's greatness is broader than the earth,
    wider than the sea.
10 If God arrests you and brings you to trial,
    who is there to stop him?
11 God knows which people are worthless;
    he sees all their evil deeds.
12 Stupid people will start being wise
    when wild donkeys are born tame.

13 Put your heart right, Job. Reach out to God.
14 Put away evil and wrong from your home.
15 Then face the world again, firm and courageous.
16 Then all your troubles will fade from your memory,
    like floods that are past and remembered no more.
17 Your life will be brighter than sunshine at noon,
    and life's darkest hours will shine like the dawn.
18 You will live secure and full of hope;
    God will protect you and give you rest.
19 You won't be afraid of your enemies;
    many people will ask you for help.
20 But the wicked will look around in despair
    and find that there is no way to escape.
Their one hope is that death will come.

Zophar

11 Then Zophar the Naamathite(A) replied:

“Are all these words to go unanswered?(B)
    Is this talker to be vindicated?(C)
Will your idle talk(D) reduce others to silence?
    Will no one rebuke you when you mock?(E)
You say to God, ‘My beliefs are flawless(F)
    and I am pure(G) in your sight.’
Oh, how I wish that God would speak,(H)
    that he would open his lips against you
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)

“Can you fathom(K) the mysteries of God?
    Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
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)
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)

Footnotes

  1. Job 11:12 Or wild donkey can be born tame