Beginning
11 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2 “Should not the multitude of words be answered? Or should a great talker be justified?
3 “Should men hold their peace at your lies? And when you mock, shall no one make you ashamed?
4 “For you have said, ‘My doctrine is pure and I am clean in Your eyes.’
5 “But, oh that God would speak and open His Lips against you!
6 “So that He might show you the secrets of wisdom. How you have double, according to right. Know, therefore, that God has exacted from you less than your iniquity deserves.
7 “Can you search out the depths of God? Can you learn the limits of the Almighty?
8 “They are higher than the heavens. What can you do? They are deeper than Sheol. How can you know them?
9 “Their measure is longer than the Earth. And they are broader than the sea.
10 “If He cuts off and shuts up, or gathers together, who can turn Him back?
11 “For He knows vain men, and sees iniquity, and he who understands nothing.
12 “Yet vain man would be wise (though a man born is like a wild donkey colt)
13 “if you prepared your heart and stretched out your hands toward Him.
14 “If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away and let no wickedness dwell in your tent.
15 “Then, truly shall you lift up your face without spot, and shall be stable, and shall not fear.
16 “And you shall forget misery and remember it as waters that are past.
17 “Your lifetime shall appear clearer than the noonday, and shall shine as the morning.
18 “And you shall be bold because there is hope. And you shall dig pits and shall lie down safely.
19 “For when you take your rest, no one shall make you afraid. Yea, many shall pursue you.
20 “But the eyes of the wicked shall fail. And their refuge shall perish. And their hope shall be the giving up of the ghost.”
12 Then Job answered, and said,
2 “Truly, you are the people. Wisdom must die with you.
3 “But I have understanding as well as you and am not inferior to you. Yea, who does not know such things?
4 “I am as one mocked by his friends, who calls upon God and He hears him. The just and the upright are laughed to scorn.
5 “He who feels ready to fall is like a lamp, ridiculed in the thoughts of the careless.
6 “The tents of robbers prosper. And those who provoke God are in safety. God has enriched them with His Hand.
7 “Ask, now, the beasts and they shall teach you, and the birds of the heaven and they shall tell you.
8 “Or speak to the Earth and it shall show you, or the fish of the sea and they shall declare to you.
9 “Who among all these is ignorant that the Hand of the LORD has done this,
10 “in Whose Hand is the soul of every living thing and the breath of all mankind?
11 “Do not the ears discern the words and the mouth taste food for themselves?
12 “Wisdom is among the ancient, and understanding is in the length of days.
13 “With Him is wisdom and strength. He has counsel and understanding.
14 “Behold, He will break it down, and it cannot be built. He shuts a man up, and he cannot be loosed.
15 “Behold, He withholds the waters, and they dry up. But when He sends them out, they destroy the Earth.
16 “With Him is strength and wisdom. Both he who is deceived and who deceives are His.
17 “He leads the counselors away barefoot and makes the judges fools.
18 “He loosens the bonds of kings and girds their loins with a girdle.
19 “He leads away the princes as prey and overthrows the mighty.
20 “He takes away the speech from the faithful and takes away the judgment of the ancient.
21 “He pours contempt upon princes and makes the strength of the mighty weak.
22 “He discovers the deep places from darkness and brings forth the shadow of death to light.
23 “He increases the people and destroys them. He enlarges the nations and brings them in again.
24 “He takes away the hearts of the leaders of the people of the Earth and makes them wander in the wilderness, out of the way.
25 “They grope in the dark without light. And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.
13 “Lo, my eye has seen all this. My ear has heard and understood it.
2 “I, also, know as much as you know. I am not inferior to you.
3 “But I will speak to the Almighty. And I desire to convince God.
4 “For indeed you forge lies. And all of you are physicians of no value.
5 “Oh, that you would hold your tongue, and it would become your wisdom.
6 “Now hear my correction and give ear to the arguments of my lips.
7 “Will you speak wickedly of God and talk deceitfully of His cause?
8 “Are you lifting up His Person if you strive with God?
9 “Is it well that He should seek you if you lie for Him, as one lies for a man?
10 “He will surely reprove you if you secretly lift up any person.
11 “Shall not His excellency make you afraid and His fear fall upon you?
12 “Your memories may be compared to ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.
13 “Hold your tongues in my presence, so that I may speak and let come upon me what will.
14 “Why do I take my flesh in my teeth and put my soul in my hand?
15 “Lo, though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him. And I will prove my ways in His sight.
16 “He shall also be my salvation. For the hypocrite shall not come before Him.
17 “Hear diligently my words, and mark my talk.
18 “Behold now, I prepare myself for judgment. I know that I shall be justified.
19 “Who is he who will contend with me? For if I hold my tongue now, I die.
20 “Only, do not do these two things to me. Then will I not hide myself from You.
21 “Withdraw Your Hand from me and do not let Your fear make me afraid.
22 “Then call, and I will answer. Or let me speak, and answer me.
23 “How many are my iniquities and sins? Show me my rebellion and my sin.
24 “Why do You hide Your Face and take me for Your enemy?
25 “Will You break a leaf, driven to and fro? And will You pursue the dry stubble?
26 “For You write bitter things against me and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
27 “You also put my feet in the stocks, look narrowly to all my paths, and imprint them with the heels of my feet.
28 “Such a one consumes like a rotten thing, as a garment that is moth-eaten.”
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