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Ang Sagot ni Zofar kay Job

11 Sumagot naman si Zofar na isang Naamita,

“Palalampasin na lang ba ang napakarami mong sinabi?
    Tama ba ang isang tao kapag ito ay maraming salita?
Akala mo ba'y di masasagot ang mga sinabi mo,
    at sa iyong pangungutya, kami'y di na makapagsasalita?
Ipinipilit mong tama ang iyong paniniwala,
    at sa harap ng Diyos ika'y malinis na lubos.
Magsalita sana ang Diyos upang ika'y masagot.
Upang masabi sa iyo ang mga lihim ng karunungan,
    sapagkat napakalalim ng kanyang kaalaman,
parusa nga niya sa iyo'y mas maliit kaysa iyong kasalanan.

“Masusukat mo ba ang kapangyarihan ng Diyos?
    Kanyang kadakilaan, iyo bang maaabot?
Higit itong mataas kaysa kalangitan,
    at mas malalim kaysa daigdig ng mga patay.
Malawak pa iyon kaysa sanlibutan,
    higit na malaki kaysa karagatan.
10 Kung dakpin ka ng Diyos at iharap sa hukuman,
    mayroon bang sa kanya'y makakahadlang?
11 Kilala ng Diyos ang taong walang kabuluhan,
    kitang-kita niya ang kanilang kasamaan.
12 Ang hangal ay maaaring tumalino
    kung ang mailap na asno ay ipinanganak nang maamo.

13 “Ang iyong puso, Job, sa Diyos mo isuko at sa kanya iabot ang mga kamay mo.
14 Alisin mo ang kasalanan sa iyong mga kamay, linisin mo sa kasamaan ang iyong tahanan.
15 At taas noo kang haharap sa sanlibutan, matatag ang loob, walang kinatatakutan.
16 Mga pagdurusa mo ay malilimutan,
    para lamang itong bahang nagdaan.
17 Magliliwanag ang iyong buhay, higit pa sa sikat ng araw,
    ang buhay mong nagdilim ay magbubukang-liwayway.
18 Papanatag ang buhay mo at mapupuno ng pag-asa;
    iingatan ka ng Diyos, at bibigyan ng pahinga.
19 Wala kang kaaway na katatakutan;
    maraming lalapit sa iyo upang humingi ng tulong.
20 Ngunit ang masama, kabiguan ang madarama,
    walang kaligtasan kahit saan sila magpunta,
    at kamatayan lamang ang kanilang pag-asa.”

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:

‘Someone must answer all these words that you have spoken.
You have talked a lot,
    but that does not mean that you are right.
Your proud words will not cause other people to say nothing.
    We must make you ashamed when you laugh at us.
You have said, “The things that I teach are true.
    God knows that I am a good man.”
So God himself should answer you.
    He should tell you what he thinks.
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.
You cannot discover everything about God.
    You cannot know how powerful he is.
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.
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

  1. 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.

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 Urges Job to Repent

11 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:

“Should not the multitude of words be answered?
And should [a]a man full of talk be vindicated?
Should your empty talk make men [b]hold their peace?
And when you mock, should no one rebuke you?
For you have said,
(A)‘My doctrine is pure,
And I am clean in your eyes.’
But oh, that God would speak,
And open His lips against you,
That He would show you the secrets of wisdom!
For they would double your prudence.
Know therefore that (B)God [c]exacts from you
Less than your iniquity deserves.

“Can(C) you search out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?
They are higher than heaven—what can you do?
Deeper than [d]Sheol—what can you know?
Their measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.

10 “If(D) He passes by, imprisons, and gathers to judgment,
Then who can [e]hinder Him?
11 For (E)He knows deceitful men;
He sees wickedness also.
Will He not then consider it?
12 For an (F)empty-headed man will be wise,
When a wild donkey’s colt is born a man.

13 “If you would (G)prepare your heart,
And (H)stretch out your hands toward Him;
14 If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away,
And (I)would not let wickedness dwell in your tents;
15 (J)Then surely you could lift up your face without spot;
Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear;
16 Because you would (K)forget your misery,
And remember it as waters that have passed away,
17 And your life (L)would be brighter than noonday.
Though you were dark, you would be like the morning.
18 And you would be secure, because there is hope;
Yes, you would dig around you, and (M)take your rest in safety.
19 You would also lie down, and no one would make you afraid;
Yes, many would court your favor.
20 But (N)the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And they shall not escape,
And (O)their hope—[f]loss of life!”

Footnotes

  1. Job 11:2 Lit. a man of lips
  2. Job 11:3 be silent
  3. Job 11:6 Lit. forgets some of your iniquity for you
  4. Job 11:8 The abode of the dead
  5. Job 11:10 restrain
  6. Job 11:20 Lit. the breathing out of life

11 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?

Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.

But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;

And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?

It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?

The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

10 If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him?

11 For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?

12 For vain men would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt.

13 If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;

14 If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.

15 For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:

16 Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:

17 And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday: thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.

18 And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.

19 Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee.

20 But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.