Job 11

Zophar’s First Response to Job

¹Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,[#Hebrew “And”]

²“Should an abundance of words go unanswered,

or a man full of talk be vindicated?

³Should your loose talk put people to silence?

And when you mock, shall no one put you to shame?

⁴For you say, ‘My teaching is pure,

and I am clean in your sight.’

⁵But, O that God might speak,[#Hebrew “And but”; #Literally “who shall give”]

and that he would open his lips to you,

⁶and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom,

for insight has many sides.

And know that God on your behalf has forgotten some of your guilt.

⁷“Can you find out the essence of God,

or can you find out the ultimate limits of Shaddai?

⁸It is higher than the heaven; what can you do?[#Literally “heights of heaven”]

It is deeper than Sheol; what can you know?

⁹Its measure is longer than the earth

and broader than the sea.

¹⁰“If he passes through and imprisons someone[#Hebrew “and he imprisons”]

and summons the assembly, then who can hinder him?

¹¹For he knows those who are worthless;[#Literally “men of worthlessness”]

when he sees iniquity, he will not consider it.

¹²But an empty-headed person will get understanding[#Hebrew “And”; #Literally “a man hollowed out”]

when a wild donkey’s colt is born as a human being.

¹³“If you yourself direct your heart[#Emphatic personal pronoun]

and stretch out your hands to him—

¹⁴if iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,[#See v. 11, where the same word is used]

and you must not let wickedness reside in your tents—

¹⁵surely then you will lift up your face without blemish,[#Hebrew “from”]

and you will be firmly established and will not fear.

¹⁶For you yourself will forget your misery;[#Emphatic personal pronoun]

you will remember it as water that has flowed past.

¹⁷“And your life will be brighter than noon;[#Literally “And from noon lifespan will arise”]

its darkness will be like the morning.

¹⁸And you will have confidence because there is hope;

and you will be well protected—you will sleep in safety.

¹⁹And you will lie down, and no one will make you afraid;[#Literally “there is not making afraid”]

and many will entreat your favor.

²⁰But the eyes of the wicked will fail;[#Hebrew “And”]

and refuge will be lost to them,

and their hope is to breathe their last breath.”