Job 11

ZOPHAR SPEAKS

11Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:

²Should this abundance of words^p go unanswered

and such a talker^H be acquitted?

³Should your babbling put others to silence,

so that you can keep on ridiculing

with no one to humiliate you?

⁴You have said, “My teaching^q is sound,

and I am pure in your sight.”

⁵But if only God would speak

and open his lips against you!

⁶He would show you the secrets of wisdom,^r

for true wisdom has two sides.

Know then that God has chosen to overlook some of your iniquity.^s

⁷Can you fathom the depths of God

or discover the limits of the Almighty?^t

⁸They are higher than the heavens—what can you do?

They are deeper than Sheol—what can you know?^u

⁹Their measure is longer than the earth

and wider than the sea.

¹⁰If he passes by and throws someone in prison

or convenes a court, who can stop him?^a

¹¹Surely he knows which people are worthless.

If he sees iniquity, will he not take note of it?^b

¹²But a stupid person will gain understanding

as soon as a wild donkey is born a human!

¹³As for you, if you redirect your heart

and spread out your hands to him in prayer—

¹⁴if there is iniquity in your hand, remove it,

and don’t allow injustice to dwell in your tents—

¹⁵then you will hold your head high, free from fault.

You will be firmly established and unafraid.^c

¹⁶For you will forget your suffering,

recalling it only as water that has flowed by.

¹⁷Your life will be brighter than noonday;

its darkness^A will be like the morning.^d

¹⁸You will be confident, because there is hope.^e

You will look carefully about and lie down in safety.^f

¹⁹You will lie down with no one to frighten you,

and many will seek your favor.^g

²⁰But the sight of the wicked^h will fail.

Their way of escape will be cut off,

and their only hope is their last breath.ⁱ