Job 11

Chapter 11

Zophar Rebukes Job

¹Then Zophar the Naamathite ¹answered,

²“Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,

And a ^atalkative man be acquitted?

³“Shall your boasts silence men?

And shall you ^ascoff and none rebuke?

⁴“For ^ayou have said, ‘My teaching is pure,

And ^bI am innocent in your eyes.’

⁵“But would that God might speak,

And open His lips against you,

⁶And show you the secrets of wisdom!

For sound wisdom ^1ahas two sides.

Know then that God ²forgets a part of ^byour iniquity.

⁷“^aCan you discover the depths of God?

Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?

⁸“They are ^ahigh as ¹the heavens, what can you do?

Deeper than ^2bSheol, what can you know?

⁹“Its measure is longer than the earth

And broader than the sea.

¹⁰“If He passes by or shuts up,

Or calls an assembly, ^awho can restrain Him?

¹¹“For ^aHe knows false men,

And He ^bsees iniquity ¹without investigating.

¹²“^1aAn idiot will become intelligent

When the ²foal of a ^bwild donkey is born a man.

¹³“^aIf you would ^bdirect your heart right

And ^cspread out your hand to Him,

¹⁴If iniquity is in your hand, ^aput it far away,

And do not let wickedness dwell in your tents;

¹⁵“Then, indeed, you could ^alift up your face without moral defect,

And you would be steadfast and ^bnot fear.

¹⁶“For you would ^aforget your trouble,

As ^bwaters that have passed by, you would remember it.

¹⁷“Your ¹life would be ^2abrighter than noonday;

Darkness would be like the morning.

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

And you would look around and rest securely.

¹⁹“You would ^alie down and none would disturb you,

And many would ^bentreat your ¹favor.

²⁰“But the ^aeyes of the wicked will fail,

And ¹there will ^bbe no escape for them;

And their ^chope is ^2dto breathe their last.”