Job 11

The Voice

11 Finally, Job’s third friend, Zophar the Naamathite, spoke to Job.

²Zophar: Shall such a great volume of words remain unanswered
        and a long-winded man be so easily acquitted?
³    Shall your empty prattle silence people,
        and when you mock, shall no one shame you?
⁴    You’ve told us, “I have a clear understanding of things,
        and I am innocent in Your eyes, O Lord.”
⁵    Ah, but I wish God would speak,
        that He would address you openly, so I will argue for Him.
⁶    I wish He would show you the secrets of great wisdom—
        for the two sides of sound wisdom are both found in His mercy and justice.
    Know this: God forgets some of your guilt.

⁷    Can you see to the unseen side of God,
        or explore the limits of the Highest One’s^[a] knowledge?
⁸    Higher than the heavens—what can you do to reach it?
        Deeper than the realm of the dead—what can you know of it?
⁹    Its farthest reaches exceed the ends of the earth;
        its breadth spans far beyond the sea.
¹⁰    If He passes by, as is His routine, and throws you into prison,
        and calls you to testify about what you’ve done, who can challenge Him?
¹¹    He recognizes worthless people without integrity,
        so do you really think when He sees wrongdoing He doesn’t examine it?
¹²    As they say, “The empty-headed will become clever
        in the day the colt of a wild donkey is born human!”

¹³    If you will focus your intentions in His direction
        and open your hands and reach for Him,
¹⁴    Where you have guilt on your hands,
        if you will send it far away and not tolerate sin in your tents,
¹⁵    Then you will lift up a face clean of all stains;
        you will hold your head high, secure, and free of fear.
¹⁶    You will forget all of these troubles of yours;
        they will pass beneath your memory like a drop of water that has just flowed away.
¹⁷    Life will become brighter than high noon;
        darkness will give way to morning.
¹⁸    Once again, you’ll trust in the presence of hope;
        you’ll scan the horizon and sleep safely.
¹⁹    You will lie down, and no one will terrorize you,
        and many will long to be in your good graces.
²⁰    But the eyes of the wicked will grow dark as they lose hope;
        they’ll find no escape, and in despair,
        they’ll long only to breathe their last dying breath.