Job 11–13

Zophar’s First Response to Job

11Then^a Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

²“Should an abundance of words go unanswered,

or a man full of talk^b be vindicated?^c

³Should your loose talk put people to silence?

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

⁴For you say, ‘My teaching is pure,

and I am clean in your sight.’

⁵But,^e O that^f God might speak,

and that he would open his lips to you,

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

for insight has many sides.^g

And know that God on your behalf^h has forgotten some ofⁱ your guilt.

⁷“Can you find out the essence of God,

or can you find out the ultimate limits^j of Shaddai?

⁸It is higher than the heaven;^k what can you do?

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^l

and summons the assembly,^m thenⁿ who can hinder him?

¹¹For he knows those who are worthless;^o

when he sees^p iniquity, he will not consider it.^q

¹²But^r an empty-headed person^s will get understanding

when^t a wild donkey’s colt is born as a human being.

¹³“If you yourself^u direct your heart

and stretch out your hands to him—

¹⁴if iniquity^v is in your hand, put it far away,

and you must not let wickedness reside in your tents—

¹⁵surely then you will lift up your face without^w blemish,

and you will be firmly established and will not fear.^x

¹⁶For you yourself^y will forget your misery;

you will remember it as water that has flowed past.

¹⁷“And your life will be brighter than noon;^z

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.^a

¹⁹And you will lie down, and no one will make you afraid;^b

and many will entreat your favor.^c

²⁰But^d the eyes of the wicked will fail;

and refuge will be lost to them,

and their hope is to breathe their last breath.”^e

Job’s Fourth Speech

12Then^a Job answered and said,

²“Truly indeed you^b are the people,

and wisdom will die with you.^c

³I also have insight^d like you;^e

I am not more inferior than you.^f

And who does not know things like these?^g

⁴I am a laughingstock to my friends:^h

‘He calls on God, and he answers him.’

A righteous, blameless man is a laughingstock.

⁵Those at ease have contemptⁱ for the thought of disaster,^j

but it is ready for those unstable of foot.

⁶The tents of the destroyers are at peace,

and there is security for those who provoke God,

for those whom God brings into his hand.^k

⁷“But^l ask^m the animals, and they will teach you,

and the birds of the heaven, and they will tell you;

⁸or ask the earth, and it will teach you,

and the fishes of the sea will declare to you.

⁹Who among all of these does not know

that Yahweh’s hand has done this?

¹⁰In whose hand is the life of all living things

and the breath of every human being?ⁿ

¹¹Does not the ear test words

and the palate taste food for itself?

¹²Wisdom is with the aged,

and understanding is in length of days.

¹³“With him are wisdom and powerful deeds,

and to him belong counsel and understanding.

¹⁴If he tears down, then^o it will not be rebuilt;

if he shuts a man in, then^p he cannot be freed.

¹⁵Look, if he withholds the water,^q then^r they dry up;

and if he sends them out, then^s they overwhelm the land.

¹⁶“Strength and sound wisdom are with him;

the deceived and the deceiver are his.^t

¹⁷He leads counselors away stripped,

and he makes fools of judges.

¹⁸He loosens the fetters of kings,

and he binds a loincloth on their loins.

¹⁹He leads priests away stripped,

and he overthrows the members of ancient families.^u

²⁰He deprives the trustworthy of speech,

and he takes away the discretion of elders.

²¹He pours contempt on noblemen,

and he loosens the girdle of the mighty.

²²“He uncovers mysteries out of darkness,

and he brings deep shadow to the light.

²³He makes the nations great, then^v he destroys them;

he expands the nations, then^w he guides them.

²⁴He strips away the insight of the heads of the earth’s people,

and he makes them wander in a pathless wasteland.^x

²⁵They grope in the dark without^y light,

and he makes them stagger like a^z drunkard.

Job’s Fourth Speech Continues

13“Look, my eye has seen everything;

my ear has heard and has understood it.

²What you^a know,^b I myself^c also know—

I am not more inferior than you.^d

³But I would speak to Shaddai,

and I desire to argue with God.

⁴“But^e you^f whitewash with lies;^g

all of you^h are worthless healers.ⁱ

⁵O that^j you^k would keep completely silent,

and that it would become wisdom for you.^l

⁶Please hear my argument,

and listen attentively to the pleadings of my lips.

⁷“Will you^m speak falsely for God?

And will youⁿ speak deceitfully for him?

⁸Will you^o show partiality for him?^p

Or do you^q want to plead God’s case?

⁹Will it be well, if he examines you?^r

Or can you^s deceive him like deceiving a human being?

¹⁰“Surely he will rebuke you^t

if you^u show partiality^v in secret.

¹¹Will not his majesty terrify you,^w

and his dread fall upon you?^x

¹²Your^y maxims are proverbs of ashes;

your^z defenses are defenses of clay.

¹³“Let me have silence,^a and I myself^b will speak,

and let come over me whatever may.

¹⁴Why should I take my flesh in my teeth

and^c put^d my life in my hand?

¹⁵Look,^e though he kill me, I will hope in^f him;

however, I will defend my ways before him.^g

¹⁶Moreover, this is salvation to me,

that the godless would not come before him.^h

¹⁷“Listen carefully to my words,

and let my exposition be in your ears.

¹⁸Please look,ⁱ I have prepared my case;

I know that I myself^j will be vindicated.

¹⁹Who is he who will contend with me?

For then I would be silent, and I would pass away.

Job Argues His Case with God

²⁰“Only you^k must not do these two things to me;

then I will not hide from your face:

²¹withdraw your^l hand from me,

and let not your^m dread terrify me.

²²Thenⁿ call, and I myself^o will answer;

or let me speak, then^p reply to me.

²³“How many^q are my iniquities and sins?

Make known to me my transgression and my sin.

²⁴Why do you^r hide your^s face

and count me as your^t enemy?

²⁵Will you^u terrify a blown leaf?

And will you^v pursue dry stubble?

²⁶“Indeed, you^w write bitter things against me,

and you^x make me reap the iniquities of my childhood.

²⁷And you^y put my feet in the block,

and you^z watch all my paths;

you carve a mark on the soles of my feet.^a

²⁸And he himself ^b​wastes away like something rotten,

like a garment that the moth has eaten.