琐法的回答

11 拿玛人琐法回答说:
“难道滔滔不绝就无人反驳?
难道唠唠叨叨就证明有理?
你喋喋不休,人们岂能缄默不言?
你嘲笑讥讽,岂不该有人使你羞愧?
你自以为信仰纯全,
在上帝眼中清白。
唯愿上帝发言,
开口驳斥你,
告诉你智慧的奥秘,
因为真智慧深奥难懂。
要知道,上帝对你的惩罚比你该受的还轻。

“你能测度上帝的深奥,
探索全能者的极限吗?
那可比诸天还高,你能做什么?
那可比阴间还深,你能知道什么?
那可比大地还宽广,
比海洋还辽阔。
10 祂若来囚禁你,
开庭审判,
谁能阻拦?
11 祂洞悉诡诈之人,
看见罪恶,
岂会不理?
12 愚蠢人若能变得聪明,
野驴驹也可生成人样。

13 “你若把心安正,
向祂举手祷告;
14 你若除去自己的罪恶,
不容帐篷里有任何不义,
15 就必能无愧地仰起脸,
站立得稳,无所畏惧。
16 你必忘记自己的苦楚,
它从你记忆中如流水逝去。
17 你的人生将比正午还光明,
生命中的黑暗也必像黎明。
18 你必充满盼望,感到安稳,
你必得到保护,安然入睡。
19 你睡觉时必无人惊扰,
许多人必求你施恩。
20 但恶人必眼目失明,无路可逃,
他们的指望只有死亡。”

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

Zophar’s First Speech[a]

Chapter 11

God Recognizes the Deceitful. Then Zophar the Naamathite responded:

“Should we allow this torrent of words to go unanswered?
    Is a clever speaker always to be considered right?
Should your endless talk reduce others to silence?
    When you mock, is no one allowed to refute you?
For you said, ‘My judgments are irrefutable
    and I am blameless in the sight of God.’
Oh, how I wish that God would speak
    and open his lips to contradict your opinions
while revealing to you the secrets of wisdom,
    which puts human intelligence to shame.
Thus, you might know
    that God will call you to account for your sin.
“Can you fathom the mysteries of God?
    Can you attain to the perfection of the Almighty?
It is higher than the heavens—what can you do?
    It is deeper than the netherworld—what can you know?
Its measure is longer than the earth
    and broader than the sea.
10 “If while passing by he decides to imprison you
    or subject you to judgment, who can prevent him?
11 He surely recognizes the deceitful;
    he will hardly ignore their iniquity.
12 An ignorant fool can no more gain understanding
    than a wild donkey can be domesticated.

Stretch Out Your Hands toward God[b]

13 “However, if you will have a change of heart
    and stretch out your hands toward him in prayer,
14 if you banish all iniquity far away from you
    and do not allow wickedness to penetrate your tent,
15 you will then be able to lift up your face in innocence;
    you will be unwavering and without fear.
16 You will then forget your wretchedness,
    remembering it only as flood waters gone by.
17 “Then your life will be brighter than noonday,
    and its darkness will be like morning.
18 You will be filled with confidence because there is hope;
    you will look around and take your rest in safety.
19 You will lie down without fearing anyone,
    and many will seek your favor.
20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail;
    for them all the ways of escape will be closed,
    and all they can hope for is death.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 11:1 Annoyed by Job’s protestations of innocence, Zophar officially urges him to meditate on the mystery of the divine wisdom and be converted.
  2. Job 11:13 Prayer combined with a sincere conversion can obtain from God a complete reversal of a situation.