Zophar Asks, Can You Find the Depths of God?

¹Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

²“Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,

And a man of lips be in the right?

³“Shall your boasts silence men?

And shall you mock and none rebuke?

⁴“You have said, ‘My learning is pure,

And I am innocent in your eyes.’

⁵“But would that God might speak,

And open His lips against you,

⁶And tell you the secrets of wisdom!

For sound wisdom has two sides.

Know then that God forgets a part of your iniquity.

⁷¶“Can you find the depths of God?

Can you find the limits of the Almighty?

⁸“They are high as the heavens, what can you do?[#11:8 Lit the heights of heaven]

Deeper than Sheol, what can you know?

⁹“Its measure is longer than the earth

And broader than the sea.

¹⁰“If He sweeps by or shuts up,

Or calls an assembly, who can turn Him around?

¹¹“For He knows worthless men,

And He sees wickedness, so will He not carefully consider it ?

¹²“Yet an empty headed man will obtain a heart of wisdom ,[#11:12 Lit A hollow man]

And the foal of a wild donkey is born a man.

¹³¶“If you would set your heart right

And spread out your hand to Him,

¹⁴If wickedness is in your hand, put it far away,

And do not let unrighteousness dwell in your tents;

¹⁵Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect,

And you would be steadfast and not fear.

¹⁶“For you would forget your trouble,

As waters that pass by, so you would remember it .

¹⁷“And your lifetime would arise brighter than noonday;

Darkness would be like the morning.

¹⁸“Then you would trust, because there is hope;

And you would search around and rest securely.

¹⁹“You would lie down and none would make you tremble,

And many would entreat your favor.

²⁰“But the eyes of the wicked will come to an end,

And escape will perish from them;

And their hope is the expiring of their soul.”