Job 11
Amplified Bible
Zophar Rebukes Job
11 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2
“Shall a multitude of words not be answered?
And should a talkative man [making such a long-winded defense] be acquitted?
3
“Should your boasts and babble silence men?
And shall you scoff and no one put you to shame?
4
“For you have said, ‘My teaching (doctrine) [that God knowingly afflicts the righteous] is pure,
And I am innocent in your eyes.’(A)
5
“But oh, that God would speak,
And open His lips [to speak] against you,
6
And [that He would] show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom [a]has two sides.
Know therefore that God forgets a part of your wickedness and guilt.
7
“Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you [by searching] discover the limits of the Almighty [ascend to His heights, extend to His widths, and comprehend His infinite perfection]?
8
“His wisdom is as high as the heights of heaven. What can you do?
It is deeper than Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead). What can you know?
9
“It is longer in measure [and scope] than the earth,
And broader than the sea.
10
“If God passes by or arrests,
Or calls an assembly [of judgment], who can restrain Him?
[If He is against a man, who can call Him to account for it?]
11
“For He recognizes and knows false and worthless men,
And He sees wickedness, will He not consider it?
12
“But a hollow (empty-headed) man will become intelligent and wise
[Only] when the [b]colt of a wild donkey is born as a man.
13
“If you direct your heart [on the right path]
And stretch out your hands to Him,
14
If sin is in your hand, put it far away [from you],
And do not let wrongdoing dwell in your tents;
15
Then, indeed, you could lift up your face [to Him] without moral defect,
And you would be firmly established and secure and not fear.
16
“For you would forget your trouble;
You would remember it as waters that have passed by.
17
“And your [c]life would be brighter than the noonday;
Darkness [then] would be like the morning.
18
“Then you would trust [with confidence], because there is hope;
You would look around you and rest securely.
19
“You would lie down with no one to frighten you,
And many would entreat and seek your favor.
20
“But the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And they will not escape [the justice of God];
And their hope is to breathe their last [and die].”
Job 11
New American Standard Bible
Zophar Rebukes Job
11 Then Zophar the Naamathite responded,
2 “Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,
And a (A)talkative man be acquitted?
3 Shall your boasts silence people?
And will you (B)scoff, and no one rebuke?
4 For (C)you have said, ‘My teaching is pure,
And (D)I am innocent in your eyes.’
5 But if only God would speak,
And open His lips against you,
6 And show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom [a](E)has two sides.
Know then that God [b]forgets part of (F)your guilt.
7 “(G)Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?
8 They are as (H)high as [c]the heavens; what can you do?
Deeper than [d](I)Sheol; what can you know?
9 Its measurement is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.
10 If He passes by or apprehends people,
Or calls an assembly, (J)who can restrain Him?
11 For (K)He knows false people,
And He (L)sees injustice [e]without investigating.
12 [f](M)An idiot will become intelligent
When a (N)wild donkey is born a human.
13 “(O)If you would (P)direct your heart rightly
And (Q)spread out your hands to Him,
14 If wrongdoing is in your hand, (R)put it far away,
And do not let malice dwell in your tents;
15 Then, indeed, you could (S)lift up your face without moral blemish,
And you would be firmly established and (T)not fear.
16 For you would (U)forget your trouble;
Like (V)waters that have passed by, you would remember it.
17 Your [g]life would [h]be (W)brighter than noonday;
Darkness would be like the morning.
18 Then you would trust, because there is hope;
And you would look around and rest securely.
19 You would (X)lie down and none would disturb you,
And many would [i](Y)flatter you.
20 But the (Z)eyes of the wicked will fail,
And [j]there will (AA)be no escape for them;
And their (AB)hope is [k](AC)to breathe their last.”
Footnotes
- Job 11:6 Lit is double
- Job 11:6 Lit causes to be forgotten for you
- Job 11:8 Lit the heights of heaven
- Job 11:8 I.e., the netherworld
- Job 11:11 Or and does not investigate
- Job 11:12 Lit A hollow man
- Job 11:17 Lit lifespan
- Job 11:17 Lit rise above noonday
- Job 11:19 Lit soften your face
- Job 11:20 Lit escape has perished from them
- Job 11:20 Lit the expiring of the soul
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.