Job 11–13

Chapter 11

¹Then Zophar the Naamathite answered:

²“Should a multitude of words go unanswered,

and a man full of talk be vindicated?

³Should your babble silence men,

and when you mock, shall no one shame you?

⁴For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure,

and I am clean in God’s eyes.’

⁵But oh, that God would speak,

and open his lips to you,

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

For he is manifold in understanding.^c

Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.

⁷“Can you find out the deep things of God?

Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?

⁸It is higher than heaven^d—what can you do?

Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?

⁹Its measure is longer than the earth,

and broader than the sea.

¹⁰If he passes through, and imprisons,

and calls to judgment, who can hinder him?

¹¹For he knows worthless men;

when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?

¹²But a stupid man will get understanding,

when a wild ass’s colt is born a man.

¹³“If you set your heart aright,

you will stretch out your hands toward him.

¹⁴If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,

and let not wickedness dwell in your tents.

¹⁵Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish;

you will be secure, and will not fear.

¹⁶You will forget your misery;

you will remember it as waters that have passed away.

¹⁷And your life will be brighter than the noonday;

its darkness will be like the morning.

¹⁸And you will have confidence, because there is hope;

you will be protected^e and take your rest in safety.

¹⁹You will lie down, and none will make you afraid;

many will entreat your favor.

²⁰But the eyes of the wicked will fail;

all way of escape will be lost to them,

and their hope is to breathe their last.”

Chapter 12

¹Then Job answered:

²“No doubt you are the people,

and wisdom will die with you.

³But I have understanding as well as you;

I am not inferior to you.

Who does not know such things as these?

⁴I am a laughingstock to my friends;

I, who called upon God and he answered me,

a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock.

⁵In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune;

it is ready for those whose feet slip.

⁶The tents of robbers are at peace,

and those who provoke God are secure,

who bring their god in their hand.^f

⁷“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;

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

⁸or the plants of the earth,^g and they will teach you;

and the fish of the sea will declare to you.

⁹Who among all these does not know

that the hand of the Lord has done this?

¹⁰In his hand is the life of every living thing

and the breath of all mankind.

¹¹Does not the ear try words

as the palate tastes food?

¹²Wisdom is with the aged,

and understanding in length of days.

¹³“With God^h are wisdom and might;

he has counsel and understanding.

¹⁴If he tears down, none can rebuild;

if he shuts a man in, none can open.

¹⁵If he withholds the waters, they dry up;

if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.

¹⁶With him are strength and wisdom;

the deceived and the deceiver are his.

¹⁷He leads counselors away stripped,

and judges he makes fools.

¹⁸He looses the bonds of kings,

and binds a waistcloth on their loins.

¹⁹He leads priests away stripped,

and overthrows the mighty.

²⁰He deprives of speech those who are trusted,

and takes away the discernment of the elders.

²¹He pours contempt on princes,

and looses the belt of the strong.

²²He uncovers the deeps out of darkness,

and brings deep darkness to light.

²³He makes nations great, and he destroys them:

he enlarges nations, and leads them away.

²⁴He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth,

and makes them wander in a pathless waste.

²⁵They grope in the dark without light;

and he makes them stagger like a drunken man.

Chapter 13

¹“Lo, my eye has seen all this, my ear has heard and understood it.

²What you know, I also know;

I am not inferior to you.

³But I would speak to the Almighty,

and I desire to argue my case with God.

⁴As for you, you whitewash with lies;

worthless physicians are you all.

⁵Oh that you would keep silent,

and it would be your wisdom!

⁶Hear now my reasoning,

and listen to the pleadings of my lips.

⁷Will you speak falsely for God,

and speak deceitfully for him?

⁸Will you show partiality toward him,

will you plead the case for God?

⁹Will it be well with you when he searches you out?

Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?

¹⁰He will surely rebuke you

if in secret you show partiality.

¹¹Will not his majesty terrify you,

and the dread of him fall upon you?

¹²Your maxims are proverbs of ashes,

your defenses are defenses of clay.

¹³“Let me have silence, and I will speak,

and let come on me what may.

¹⁴I will takeⁱ my flesh in my teeth,

and put my life in my hand.

¹⁵Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope;

yet I will defend my ways to his face.

¹⁶This will be my salvation,

that a godless man shall not come before him.

¹⁷Listen carefully to my words,

and let my declaration be in your ears.

¹⁸Behold, I have prepared my case;

I know that I shall be vindicated.

¹⁹Who is there that will contend with me?

For then I would be silent and die.

²⁰Only grant two things to me,

then I will not hide myself from thy face:

²¹withdraw thy hand far from me,

and let not dread of thee terrify me.

²²Then call, and I will answer;

or let me speak, and do thou reply to me.

²³How many are my iniquities and my sins?

Make me know my transgression and my sin.

²⁴Why dost thou hide thy face,

and count me as thy enemy?

²⁵Wilt thou frighten a driven leaf

and pursue dry chaff?

²⁶For thou writest bitter things against me,

and makest me inherit the iniquities of my youth.

²⁷Thou puttest my feet in the stocks,

and watchest all my paths;

thou settest a bound to the soles of my feet.

²⁸Man^j wastes away like a rotten thing,

like a garment that is moth-eaten.