Job 11

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:

Then Sophar the Minaean answered and said,

2 “Should this stream of words go unanswered and such a speaker be vindicated?

He that speaks much, should also hear on the other side: or does the fluent speaker think himself to be righteous? blessed [is] the short lived offspring of woman.

3 Should your babbling put others to silence? Will you scoff without rebuke?

Be not a speaker of many words; for is there none to answer you?

4 You have said, ‘My doctrine is sound, and I am pure in Your sight.’

For say not, I am pure in my works, and blameless before him.

5 But if only God would speak and open His lips against you,

But oh that the Lord would speak to you, and open his lips to you!

6 and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know then that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves.

Then shall he declare to you the power of wisdom; for it shall be double of that which is with you: and then shall you know, that a just recompence of your sins has come to you from the Lord.

7 Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?

Will you find out the traces of the Lord? or have you come to the end [of that] which the Almighty has made?

8 They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol—what can you know? (Sheol h7585)

Heaven [is] high; and what will you do? and there are deeper things than those in hell; what do you know? (Sheol h7585)

9 Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.

Or longer than the measure of the earth, or the breadth of the sea.

10 If He comes along to imprison you, or convenes a court, who can stop Him?

And if he should overthrow all things, who will say to him, What have you done?

11 Surely He knows the deceit of men. If He sees iniquity, does He not take note?

For he knows the works of transgressors; and when he sees wickedness, he will not overlook [it].

12 But a witless man can no more become wise than the colt of a wild donkey can be born a man!

But man vainly buoys himself up with words; and a mortal born of woman [is] like an ass in the desert.

13 As for you, if you direct your heart and lift up your hands to Him,

For if you have made your heart pure, and lift up [your] hands towards him;

14 if you put away the iniquity in your hand, and allow no injustice to dwell in your tents,

if there is any iniquity in your hands, put if far from you, and let not unrighteousness lodge in your habitation.

15 then indeed you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and unafraid.

For thus shall your countenance shine again, as pure water; and you shall dive yourself of uncleanness, and shall not fear.

16 For you will forget your misery, recalling it only as waters gone by.

And you shall forget trouble, as a wave that has passed by; and you shall not be scared.

17 Your life will be brighter than noonday; its darkness will be like the morning.

And your prayer [shall be] as the morning star, and life shall arise to you [as] from the noonday.

18 You will be secure, because there is hope, and you will look around and lie down in safety.

And you shall be confident, because you have hope; and peace shall dawn to you from out of anxiety and care.

19 You will lie down without fear, and many will court your favor.

For you shall be at ease, and there shall be no one to fight against you; and many shall charge, and make supplication to you.

20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; they will hope for their last breath.”

But safety shall fail them; for their hope is destruction, and the eyes of the ungodly shall waste away.