Zophar Rebukes Job
11 Then Zophar the Naamathite [a]answered,
2 “Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,
And a (A)talkative man be acquitted?
3 “Shall your boasts silence men?
And shall you (B)scoff and none rebuke?
4 “For (C)you have said, ‘My teaching is pure,
And (D)I am innocent in your eyes.’
5 “But would that God might speak,
And open His lips against you,
6 And show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom [b](E)has two sides.
Know then that God [c]forgets a part of (F)your iniquity.
7 “(G)Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?
8 “They are (H)high as [d]the heavens, what can you do?
Deeper than [e](I)Sheol, 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, (J)who can restrain Him?
11 “For (K)He knows false men,
And He (L)sees iniquity [f]without investigating.
12 “[g](M)An idiot will become intelligent
When the [h]foal of a (N)wild donkey is born a man.
13 “(O)If you would (P)direct your heart right
And (Q)spread out your hand to Him,
14 If iniquity is in your hand, (R)put it far away,
And do not let wickedness dwell in your tents;
15 “Then, indeed, you could (S)lift up your face without moral defect,
And you would be steadfast and (T)not fear.
16 “For you would (U)forget your trouble,
As (V)waters that have passed by, you would remember it.
17 “Your [i]life would be [j](W)brighter 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 (X)lie down and none would disturb you,
And many would (Y)entreat your [k]favor.
20 “But the (Z)eyes of the wicked will fail,
And [l]there will (AA)be no escape for them;
And their (AB)hope is [m](AC)to breathe their last.”
Footnotes
- Job 11:1 Lit answered and said
- Job 11:6 Lit is double
- Job 11:6 Lit causes to be forgotten for you
- Job 11:8 Lit the heights of heaven
- Job 11:8 I.e. the nether world
- Job 11:11 Or even He does not consider
- Job 11:12 Lit A hollow man
- Job 11:12 Lit donkey
- Job 11:17 Lit duration of life
- Job 11:17 Lit above noonday
- Job 11:19 Lit face
- Job 11:20 Lit escape has perished from them
- Job 11:20 Lit the expiring of the soul
Cross references
- Job 11:2 : Job 8:2; 15:2; 18:2
- Job 11:3 : Job 17:2; 21:3
- Job 11:4 : Job 6:10
- Job 11:4 : Job 10:7
- Job 11:6 : Job 9:4
- Job 11:6 : Job 15:5; 22:5
- Job 11:7 : Job 33:12, 13; 36:26; 37:5, 23; Rom 11:33
- Job 11:8 : Job 22:12; 35:5
- Job 11:8 : Job 26:6; 38:17
- Job 11:10 : Job 9:12
- Job 11:11 : Job 34:21-23
- Job 11:11 : Job 24:23; 28:24; 31:4
- Job 11:12 : Ps 39:5, 11; 62:9; 144:4; Eccl 1:2; 11:10
- Job 11:12 : Job 39:5
- Job 11:13 : Job 5:17-27; 11:13-20
- Job 11:13 : 1 Sam 7:3; Ps 78:8
- Job 11:13 : Job 22:27; Ps 88:9; 143:6
- Job 11:14 : Job 22:23
- Job 11:15 : Job 22:26
- Job 11:15 : Ps 27:3; 46:2
- Job 11:16 : Is 65:16
- Job 11:16 : Job 22:11
- Job 11:17 : Job 22:26
- Job 11:19 : Lev 26:6; Is 17:2; Mic 4:4; Zeph 3:13
- Job 11:19 : Is 45:14
- Job 11:20 : Deut 28:65; Job 17:5
- Job 11:20 : Job 27:22; 34:22
- Job 11:20 : Job 8:13
- Job 11:20 : Job 6:9