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Zophar Accuses Job

11 Zophar from Naamath had this to say:

“Shouldn’t a multitude of words be answered,
    or a person who talks too much[a] be vindicated?
Will your irrational babble silence people,
    and when you mock them,
        will you escape without being shamed?[b]
You’ve said, ‘My teaching is flawless;
    I’m clean[c] in God’s[d] sight.’

“But what if God were to speak?
    What if he were[e] to talk[f] with you,
and disclose his wise secrets?
After all, there’s so much more[g] to understanding.
    So be aware that God will exact from you
        less than your sin deserves.”

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Footnotes

  1. Job 11:2 Or a talker
  2. Job 11:3 MT has without being humiliated
  3. Job 11:4 Or pure
  4. Job 11:4 Lit. your
  5. Job 11:5 The Heb. lacks What if he were
  6. Job 11:5 Lit. open his lips against
  7. Job 11:6 Lit. double

Zophar’s First Response to Job

11 Then[a] Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

“Should an abundance of words go unanswered,
or a man full of talk[b] be vindicated?[c]
Should your loose talk put people to silence?
And when you mock, shall no one put you to shame?[d]
For you say, ‘My teaching is pure,
and I am clean in your sight.’
But,[e] O that[f] God might speak,
and that he would open his lips to you,
and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom,
for insight has many sides.[g]
And know that God on your behalf[h] has forgotten some of[i] your guilt.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 11:1 Hebrew “And”
  2. Job 11:2 Literally “a man of lips”
  3. Job 11:2 Hebrew “should he be vindicated”
  4. Job 11:3 Literally “And you will mock there is not putting to shame”
  5. Job 11:5 Hebrew “And but”
  6. Job 11:5 Literally “who shall give”
  7. Job 11:6 Literally “double to sound wisdom”
  8. Job 11:6 Literally “for you”
  9. Job 11:6 Literally “from”