Job 11, side by side

¹Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:

¹Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

²“Should this stream of words go unanswered and such a speaker be vindicated?

²Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?

³Should your babbling put others to silence? Will you scoff without rebuke?

³Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

⁴You have said, ‘My doctrine is sound, and I am pure in Your sight.’

⁴For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.

⁵But if only God would speak and open His lips against you,

⁵But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;

⁶and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know then that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves.

⁶And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

⁷Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?

⁷Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?

⁸They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol—what can you know?

⁸It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?

⁹Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.

⁹The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

¹⁰If He comes along to imprison you, or convenes a court, who can stop Him?

¹⁰If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him?

¹¹Surely He knows the deceit of men. If He sees iniquity, does He not take note?

¹¹For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?

¹²But a witless man can no more become wise than the colt of a wild donkey can be born a man!

¹²For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass’s colt.

¹³As for you, if you direct your heart and lift up your hands to Him,

¹³If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;

¹⁴if you put away the iniquity in your hand, and allow no injustice to dwell in your tents,

¹⁴If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.

¹⁵then indeed you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and unafraid.

¹⁵For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:

¹⁶For you will forget your misery, recalling it only as waters gone by.

¹⁶Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:

¹⁷Your life will be brighter than noonday; its darkness will be like the morning.

¹⁷And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday: thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.

¹⁸You will be secure, because there is hope, and you will look around and lie down in safety.

¹⁸And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.

¹⁹You will lie down without fear, and many will court your favor.

¹⁹Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee.

²⁰But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; they will hope for their last breath.”

²⁰But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.