Job 11
1 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
And Zophar the Naamathite answers and says:
2 “Should this stream of words go unanswered and such a speaker be vindicated?
“Is a multitude of words not answered? And is a man of lips justified?
3 Should your babbling put others to silence? Will you scoff without rebuke?
Your boastings make men keep silent, You scorn, and none is causing blushing!
4 You have said, ‘My doctrine is sound, and I am pure in Your sight.’
And you say, My discourse [is] pure, And I have been clean in Your eyes.
5 But if only God would speak and open His lips against you,
And yet, O that God had spoken! And opens His lips with 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.
And declares to you secrets of wisdom, for counsel has foldings. And know that God forgets of your iniquity for you.
7 Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?
Do you find out God by searching? To perfection find out the Mighty One?
8 They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol—what can you know? (Sheol h7585)
Heights of the heavens—what [can] you do? Deeper than Sheol—what [can] you know? (Sheol h7585)
9 Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.
Its measure [is] longer than earth, and broader than the sea.
10 If He comes along to imprison you, or convenes a court, who can stop Him?
If He passes on, and shuts up, and assembles, Who then reverses it?
11 Surely He knows the deceit of men. If He sees iniquity, does He not take note?
For He has known men of vanity, And He sees iniquity, And one does not consider [it]!
12 But a witless man can no more become wise than the colt of a wild donkey can be born a man!
And empty man is bold, And man is born [as] the colt of a wild donkey.
13 As for you, if you direct your heart and lift up your hands to Him,
If you have prepared your heart, And have spread out your hands to Him,
14 if you put away the iniquity in your hand, and allow no injustice to dwell in your tents,
If iniquity [is] in your hand, put it far off, And do not let perverseness dwell in your tents.
15 then indeed you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and unafraid.
For then you lift up your face from blemish, And you have been firm, and do not fear.
16 For you will forget your misery, recalling it only as waters gone by.
For you forget misery, As waters passed away you remember.
17 Your life will be brighter than noonday; its darkness will be like the morning.
And age rises above the noon, You fly—you are as the morning.
18 You will be secure, because there is hope, and you will look around and lie down in safety.
And you have trusted because there is hope, And searched—in confidence you lie down,
19 You will lie down without fear, and many will court your favor.
And you have rested, And none is causing trembling, And many have begged [at] your face;
20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; they will hope for their last breath.”
And the eyes of the wicked are consumed, And refuge has perished from them, And their hope [is] a breathing out of soul!”
