Job 11
EasyEnglish Bible
Job's friend Zophar speaks to him[a]
11 Job's friend Zophar, who came from Naamah, decided to speak. He said this to Job:
2 ‘Someone must answer all these words that you have spoken.
You have talked a lot,
but that does not mean that you are right.
3 Your proud words will not cause other people to say nothing.
We must make you ashamed when you laugh at us.
4 You have said, “The things that I teach are true.
God knows that I am a good man.”
5 So God himself should answer you.
He should tell you what he thinks.
6 He would show you the secret of wisdom.
True wisdom is not easy to understand.
But you must understand this:
God is punishing you less than you deserve.
7 You cannot discover everything about God.
You cannot know how powerful he is.
8 His power goes higher than the sky.
You cannot do anything about that.
His power goes deeper than the place of death.
You cannot know all about that.
9 The truth about God is wider than the whole earth.
It goes far beyond the sea.
10 God may catch you and put you in prison.
He may accuse you in a court.
Nobody can stop him doing that.
11 God knows the people who are not honest.
He sees the evil things that they do.
12 Wild donkeys never give birth to human children.
And foolish people never become wise!
13 As for you, Job, you should be faithful to God.
Raise your hands and pray to God.
14 If you want to do an evil thing,
stop yourself from doing it.
Do not let people do wrong things in your home.
15 Do what I say. Then you will not be ashamed any more.
Instead, you will be strong. You will not be afraid.
16 You will forget about your trouble.
It will be like water that has disappeared.
You will not remember it.
17 You will have a happy life
that is brighter than the sun at noon.
Even if trouble makes it dark,
it will still seem like a bright morning.
18 You will be safe as you trust God.
God will protect you.
You will be able to rest safely.
19 When you lie down to sleep,
you will not be afraid of anyone.
Many people will ask you to help them.
20 But wicked people will not find any help.
They cannot escape from their troubles.
They can only hope to die.’
Footnotes
- 11:1 Zophar tells Job that God knows everything. So Job must have done wrong things and God is punishing him. If he stops doing wrong things, he will be happy again.
Job 11
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 11
Zophar’s First Speech. 1 And Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2 Should not many words be answered,
or must the garrulous man necessarily be right?
3 Shall your babblings keep others silent,
and shall you deride and no one give rebuke?
4 Shall you say: “My teaching is pure,
and I am clean in your sight”?
5 But oh, that God would speak,[a]
and open his lips against you,
6 And tell you the secrets of wisdom,
for good sense has two sides;
So you might learn that God
overlooks some of your sinfulness.
7 Can you find out the depths of God?(A)
or find out the perfection of the Almighty?
8 It is higher than the heavens; what can you do?
It is deeper than Sheol; what can you know?
9 It is longer than the earth in measure,
and broader than the sea.
10 If he should seize and imprison
or call to judgment, who then could turn him back?
11 For he knows the worthless
and sees iniquity; will he then ignore it?
12 An empty head will gain understanding,
when a colt of a wild jackass(B) is born human.[b]
13 If you set your heart aright
and stretch out your hands toward him,
14 If iniquity is in your hand, remove it,
and do not let injustice dwell in your tent,
15 Surely then you may lift up your face in innocence;
you may stand firm and unafraid.
16 For then you shall forget your misery,
like water that has ebbed away you shall regard it.
17 Then your life shall be brighter than the noonday;
its gloom shall become like the morning,
18 And you shall be secure, because there is hope;
you shall look round you and lie down in safety;(C)
19 you shall lie down and no one will disturb you.
Many shall entreat your favor,
20 but the wicked, looking on, shall be consumed with envy.
Escape shall be cut off from them,
their only hope their last breath.
Footnotes
- 11:5 This is another of many ironies (e.g., cf. 11:16–19) that occur throughout the book. Zophar does not know that God will speak (chaps. 38–42), but contrary to what he thinks.
- 11:12 A colt…is born human: the Hebrew is obscure. As translated, it seems to be a proverb referring to an impossible event.
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