Job 11
1 Then Sophar the Minaean answered and said,
Then Zophar, from [the] Naamah [area], said this to Job:
2 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.
“(Should no one answer all that you have said?/Someone should certainly answer all that you have said.) [RHQ] Just because you talk a lot, (should that cause us to declare that you (are innocent/have done nothing wrong)?/that should not cause us to declare that you (are innocent/have done nothing wrong).) [RHQ]
3 Be not a speaker of many words; for is there none to answer you?
Job, (should your babbling cause us to be silent?/your babbling should certainly not cause us to be silent.) [RHQ] When you make fun of us, shall no one [rebuke you and] cause you to be ashamed?
4 For say not, I am pure in my works, and blameless before him.
You say, ‘What I say is true; God knows that I am (innocent/without guilt).’
5 But oh that the Lord would speak to you, and open his lips to you!
But I wish/desire that God would talk and say something [MTY] to answer you!
6 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.
God knows everything about everything, so I wish/desire that he would tell you the secrets that he knows because he is wise. But you need to know that God is punishing you less than you deserve!
7 Will you find out the traces of the Lord? or have you come to the end [of that] which the Almighty has made?
[“Tell me], will you ever be able to find out the things about God that are very difficult to understand? Will you be able to find out everything that there is to know about Almighty God?
8 Heaven [is] high; and what will you do? and there are deeper things than those in hell; what do you know? (Sheol h7585)
[What there is to know about God] is greater than [the distance from earth to] heaven; so there is no way [RHQ] that you can [understand it all]. It is greater than [the distance from here to] the place of the dead; so it is impossible for you [RHQ] to know it all. (Sheol h7585)
9 Or longer than the measure of the earth, or the breadth of the sea.
What there is to know about God is wider than the earth and wider than the ocean.
10 And if he should overthrow all things, who will say to him, What have you done?
“If God comes to you and puts you in prison and then brings you to a court, (who can stop him?/no one can stop him.) [RHQ]
11 For he knows the works of transgressors; and when he sees wickedness, he will not overlook [it].
He knows which people are worthless; and when he sees people doing wicked things, (will he ignore it?/he will certainly not ignore it!) [RHQ]
12 But man vainly buoys himself up with words; and a mortal born of woman [is] like an ass in the desert.
Stupid people [like you] will start to become wise [SAR] when wild donkeys [stop giving birth to wild donkeys and] start giving birth to tame donkeys.
13 For if you have made your heart pure, and lift up [your] hands towards him;
“Job, repent [IDM]; reach out your hands to seek God’s help.
14 if there is any iniquity in your hands, put if far from you, and let not unrighteousness lodge in your habitation.
If you have done evil things, stop doing them; and do not allow any people in your house to do wicked things.
15 For thus shall your countenance shine again, as pure water; and you shall dive yourself of uncleanness, and shall not fear.
If you do what I have said, surely you will lift up your head because you will not be ashamed; you will be strong, and not afraid [of anything].
16 And you shall forget trouble, as a wave that has passed by; and you shall not be scared.
You will forget all your troubles; they will be like [the] water [of a flood] that has all disappeared.
17 And your prayer [shall be] as the morning star, and life shall arise to you [as] from the noonday.
[Your troubles will be ended, like the darkness ends] at the dawn; [it will be as though] [MET] the sun is shining brightly on you, like [it shines] at noon.
18 And you shall be confident, because you have hope; and peace shall dawn to you from out of anxiety and care.
You will feel safe/secure, because you will confidently expect [that good things will happen to you]; God will protect you and enable you to rest safely [each night].
19 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.
You will lie down, and no one will cause you to be afraid. And many people will come and request you to do things for them.
20 But safety shall fail them; for their hope is destruction, and the eyes of the ungodly shall waste away.
But wicked people [SYN] will not be able to understand [why bad things are happening to them]; they will not have any way to escape [from their troubles]. The only thing that they will want to do is to die. [EUP]”
