11 Next Tzofar the Na‘amati spoke up:

² “Shouldn’t this torrent of words be answered?
Does talking a lot make a person right?
³ Is your babble supposed to put others to silence?
When you mock, is no one to make you ashamed?

⁴ “You claim that your teaching is pure;
you tell [God], ‘I am clean in your sight.’
⁵ I wish that God would speak,
would open his mouth to answer you,
⁶ would tell you the secrets of wisdom,
which is worth twice as much as common sense.
Understand that God is demanding of you
less than your guilt deserves.

⁷ “Can you penetrate God’s depths?
Can you find out Shaddai’s limits?
⁸ They’re as high as heaven; what can you do?
They’re deeper than Sh’ol; what can you know?
⁹ Their extent is longer than the earth
and broader than the sea.
¹⁰ If he passes through, puts in prison
and assembles [for judgment], who can prevent him?
¹¹ For he knows when people are worthless;
so if he sees iniquity, won’t he look into it?

¹² “An empty man can gain understanding,
even if he was born like a wild donkey.
¹³ If you will set your heart right,
if you will spread out your hands toward him,
¹⁴ if you will put your iniquity at a distance
and not let unrighteousness remain in your tents,
¹⁵ then when you lift up your face, there will be no defect;
you will be firm and free from fear.

¹⁶ “For you will forget your misery;
you’ll remember it like a flood that passed through long ago;
¹⁷ your life will be brighter than noon;
even its darkness will be like morning.
¹⁸ You will be confident, because there is hope;
you will look around you and lie down secure;
¹⁹ you will rest, and no one will make you afraid.
Many will seek your favor;
²⁰ but the eyes of the wicked will fail [to find comfort].
They will find no way to escape,
and their hope will turn to complete disappointment.”