Beginning
Zophar Rebukes Job
11 Then Zophar the Naamathite [a]answered,
2 “Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,
And a (A)talkative man be acquitted?
3 “Shall your boasts silence men?
And shall you (B)scoff and none rebuke?
4 “For (C)you have said, ‘My teaching is pure,
And (D)I am innocent in your eyes.’
5 “But would that God might speak,
And open His lips against you,
6 And show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom [b](E)has two sides.
Know then that God [c]forgets a part of (F)your iniquity.
7 “(G)Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?
8 “They are (H)high as [d]the heavens, what can you do?
Deeper than [e](I)Sheol, what can you know?
9 “Its measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.
10 “If He passes by or shuts up,
Or calls an assembly, (J)who can restrain Him?
11 “For (K)He knows false men,
And He (L)sees iniquity [f]without investigating.
12 “[g](M)An idiot will become intelligent
When the [h]foal of a (N)wild donkey is born a man.
13 “(O)If you would (P)direct your heart right
And (Q)spread out your hand to Him,
14 If iniquity is in your hand, (R)put it far away,
And do not let wickedness dwell in your tents;
15 “Then, indeed, you could (S)lift up your face without moral defect,
And you would be steadfast and (T)not fear.
16 “For you would (U)forget your trouble,
As (V)waters that have passed by, you would remember it.
17 “Your [i]life would be [j](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 (Y)entreat your [k]favor.
20 “But the (Z)eyes of the wicked will fail,
And [l]there will (AA)be no escape for them;
And their (AB)hope is [m](AC)to breathe their last.”
Job Chides His Accusers
12 Then Job [n]responded,
2 “Truly then (AD)you are the people,
And with you wisdom will die!
3 “But (AE)I have intelligence as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
And [o]who does not know such things as these?
4 “I am a (AF)joke to [p]my friends,
The one who called on God and He answered him;
The just and (AG)blameless man is a joke.
5 “[q]He who is at ease holds calamity in contempt,
As prepared for those whose feet slip.
6 “The (AH)tents of the destroyers prosper,
And those who provoke God (AI)are secure,
[r]Whom God brings (AJ)into their power.
7 “But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you;
And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you.
8 “Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you;
And let the fish of the sea declare to you.
9 “Who among all these does not know
That (AK)the hand of the Lord has done this,
10 (AL)In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And (AM)the breath of all mankind?
11 “Does not (AN)the ear test words,
As the palate [s]tastes its food?
12 “Wisdom is with (AO)aged men,
With [t]long life is understanding.
Job Speaks of the Power of God
13 “With Him are (AP)wisdom and (AQ)might;
To Him belong counsel and (AR)understanding.
14 “Behold, He (AS)tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He [u](AT)imprisons a man, and [v]there can be no release.
15 “Behold, He (AU)restrains the waters, and they dry up;
And He (AV)sends them out, and they [w]inundate the earth.
16 “With Him are strength and sound wisdom,
The (AW)misled and the misleader belong to Him.
17 “He makes (AX)counselors walk [x]barefoot
And makes fools of (AY)judges.
18 “He (AZ)loosens the [y]bond of kings
And binds their loins with a girdle.
19 “He makes priests walk [z]barefoot
And overthrows (BA)the secure ones.
20 “He deprives the trusted ones of speech
And (BB)takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 “He (BC)pours contempt on nobles
And (BD)loosens the belt of the strong.
22 “He (BE)reveals mysteries from the darkness
And brings the deep darkness into light.
23 “He (BF)makes the nations great, then destroys them;
He [aa]enlarges the nations, then leads them away.
24 “He (BG)deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the earth’s people
And makes them wander in a pathless waste.
25 “They (BH)grope in darkness with no light,
And He makes them (BI)stagger like a drunken man.
Job Says His Friends’ Proverbs Are Ashes
13 “(BJ)Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
2 “(BK)What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
3 “But (BL)I would speak to [ab]the Almighty,
And I desire to (BM)argue with God.
4 “But you (BN)smear with lies;
You are all (BO)worthless physicians.
5 “O that you would (BP)be completely silent,
And that it would become your wisdom!
6 “Please hear my argument
And listen to the contentions of my lips.
7 “Will you (BQ)speak what is unjust for God,
And speak what is deceitful for Him?
8 “Will you (BR)show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?
9 “Will it be well when He examines you?
Or (BS)will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?
10 “He will surely reprove you
If you secretly (BT)show partiality.
11 “Will not (BU)His [ac]majesty terrify you,
And the dread of Him fall on you?
12 “Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are defenses of clay.
Job Is Sure He Will Be Vindicated
13 “(BV)Be silent before me so that I may speak;
Then let come on me what may.
14 “Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
And (BW)put my life in my [ad]hands?
15 “(BX)Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I (BY)will argue my ways [ae]before Him.
16 “This also will be my (BZ)salvation,
For (CA)a godless man may not come before His presence.
17 “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let my declaration fill your ears.
18 “Behold now, I have (CB)prepared my case;
I know that (CC)I will be vindicated.
19 “(CD)Who will contend with me?
For then I would be silent and (CE)die.
20 “Only two things do not do to me,
Then I will not hide from Your face:
21 (CF)Remove Your [af]hand from me,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.
22 “Then call, and (CG)I will answer;
Or let me speak, then reply to me.
23 “(CH)How many are my iniquities and sins?
Make known to me my [ag]rebellion and my sin.
24 “Why do You (CI)hide Your face
And consider me (CJ)Your enemy?
25 “Will You cause a (CK)driven leaf to tremble?
Or will You pursue the dry (CL)chaff?
26 “For You write (CM)bitter things against me
And (CN)make me to inherit the iniquities of my youth.
27 “You (CO)put my feet in the stocks
And watch all my paths;
You [ah]set a limit for the soles of my feet,
28 While [ai]I am decaying like a (CP)rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.