Job 11–13

Zophar

11Then Zophar the Naamathite^g replied:

²“Are all these words to go unanswered?^h

Is this talker to be vindicated?ⁱ

³Will your idle talk^j reduce others to silence?

Will no one rebuke you when you mock?^k

⁴You say to God, ‘My beliefs are flawless^l

and I am pure^m in your sight.’

⁵Oh, how I wish that God would speak,ⁿ

that he would open his lips against you

⁶and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom,^o

for true wisdom has two sides.

Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.^p

⁷“Can you fathom^q the mysteries of God?

Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?

⁸They are higher^r than the heavens^s above—what can you do?

They are deeper than the depths below^t—what can you know?^u

⁹Their measure^v is longer than the earth

and wider than the sea.^w

¹⁰“If he comes along and confines you in prison

and convenes a court, who can oppose him?^x

¹¹Surely he recognizes deceivers;

and when he sees evil, does he not take note?^y

¹²But the witless can no more become wise

than a wild donkey’s colt^z can be born human.^aa

¹³“Yet if you devote your heart^b to him

and stretch out your hands^c to him,^d

¹⁴if you put away^e the sin that is in your hand

and allow no evil^f to dwell in your tent,^g

¹⁵then, free of fault, you will lift up your face;^h

you will stand firmⁱ and without fear.^j

¹⁶You will surely forget your trouble,^k

recalling it only as waters gone by.^l

¹⁷Life will be brighter than noonday,^m

and darkness will become like morning.ⁿ

¹⁸You will be secure, because there is hope;

you will look about you and take your rest^o in safety.^p

¹⁹You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid,^q

and many will court your favor.^r

²⁰But the eyes of the wicked will fail,^s

and escape will elude them;^t

their hope will become a dying gasp.”^u

Job

12Then Job replied:

²“Doubtless you are the only people who matter,

and wisdom will die with you!^v

³But I have a mind as well as you;

I am not inferior to you.

Who does not know all these things?^w

⁴“I have become a laughingstock^x to my friends,^y

though I called on God and he answered^z—

a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!^a

⁵Those who are at ease have contempt^b for misfortune

as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.^c

⁶The tents of marauders are undisturbed,^d

and those who provoke God are secure^e—

those God has in his hand.^a

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

or the birds in the sky,^g and they will tell you;^h

⁸or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,

or let the fish in the sea inform you.

⁹Which of all these does not knowⁱ

that the hand of the Lord has done this?^j

¹⁰In his hand is the life^k of every creature

and the breath of all mankind.^l

¹¹Does not the ear test words

as the tongue tastes food?^m

¹²Is not wisdom found among the aged?ⁿ

Does not long life bring understanding?^o

¹³“To God belong wisdom^p and power;^q

counsel and understanding are his.^r

¹⁴What he tears down^s cannot be rebuilt;^t

those he imprisons cannot be released.^u

¹⁵If he holds back the waters,^v there is drought;^w

if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.^x

¹⁶To him belong strength and insight;^y

both deceived and deceiver are his.^z

¹⁷He leads rulers away stripped^a

and makes fools of judges.^b

¹⁸He takes off the shackles^c put on by kings

and ties a loincloth^b around their waist.^d

¹⁹He leads priests away stripped^e

and overthrows officials long established.^f

²⁰He silences the lips of trusted advisers

and takes away the discernment of elders.^g

²¹He pours contempt on nobles^h

and disarms the mighty.ⁱ

²²He reveals the deep things of darkness^j

and brings utter darkness^k into the light.^l

²³He makes nations great, and destroys them;^m

he enlarges nations,ⁿ and disperses them.^o

²⁴He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;^p

he makes them wander in a trackless waste.^q

²⁵They grope in darkness with no light;^r

he makes them stagger like drunkards.^s

13“My eyes have seen all this,^t

my ears have heard and understood it.

²What you know, I also know;

I am not inferior to you.^u

³But I desire to speak to the Almighty^v

and to argue my case with God.^w

⁴You, however, smear me with lies;^x

you are worthless physicians,^y all of you!^z

⁵If only you would be altogether silent!^a

For you, that would be wisdom.^b

⁶Hear now my argument;

listen to the pleas of my lips.^c

⁷Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf?

Will you speak deceitfully for him?^d

⁸Will you show him partiality?^e

Will you argue the case for God?

⁹Would it turn out well if he examined you?^f

Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?^g

¹⁰He would surely call you to account

if you secretly showed partiality.^h

¹¹Would not his splendorⁱ terrify you?

Would not the dread of him fall on you?^j

¹²Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;

your defenses are defenses of clay.^k

¹³“Keep silent^l and let me speak;^m

then let come to me what may.ⁿ

¹⁴Why do I put myself in jeopardy

and take my life in my hands?^o

¹⁵Though he slay me, yet will I hope^p in him;^q

I will surely^a defend my ways to his face.^r

¹⁶Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,^s

for no godless^t person would dare come before him!^u

¹⁷Listen carefully to what I say;^v

let my words ring in your ears.

¹⁸Now that I have prepared my case,^w

I know I will be vindicated.^x

¹⁹Can anyone bring charges against me?^y

If so, I will be silent^z and die.^a

²⁰“Only grant me these two things, God,

and then I will not hide from you:

²¹Withdraw your hand^b far from me,

and stop frightening me with your terrors.^c

²²Then summon me and I will answer,^d

or let me speak, and you reply to me.^e

²³How many wrongs and sins have I committed?^f

Show me my offense and my sin.^g

²⁴Why do you hide your face^h

and consider me your enemy?ⁱ

²⁵Will you torment^j a windblown leaf?^k

Will you chase^l after dry chaff?^m

²⁶For you write down bitter things against me

and make me reap the sins of my youth.ⁿ

²⁷You fasten my feet in shackles;^o

you keep close watch on all my paths^p

by putting marks on the soles of my feet.

²⁸“So man wastes away like something rotten,

like a garment^q eaten by moths.^r