Then Zophar the Naamathite1answered,Lit answered and said
2 “Shall a multitude of wordsgounanswered,And a atalkativeman be acquitted?Job 8:2; 15:2; 18:23 “Shall your boastssilencemen?And shall you ascoff and nonerebuke?Job 17:2; 21:34 “For ayou have said, ‘My teaching is pure,And bI aminnocent in your eyes.’Job 6:10Job 10:75 “But would that God might speak,And open His lipsagainst you,6 And show you the secrets of wisdom!For soundwisdom1ahas twosides.Know then that God2forgets a part of byour iniquity.Lit is doubleLit causes to be forgotten for youJob 9:4Job 15:5; 22:5
7 “aCan you discover the depths of God?Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?Job 33:12, 13; 36:26; 37:5, 23; Rom 11:338 “Theyareahigh as 1the heavens, what can you do?Deeperthan2bSheol, what can you know?Lit the heights of heavenI.e. the nether worldJob 22:12; 35:5Job 26:6; 38:179 “Its measure is longerthan the earthAnd broaderthan the sea.10 “If He passes by or shuts up,Or calls an assembly, awho can restrain Him?Job 9:1211 “For aHe knowsfalsemen,And He bseesiniquity1withoutinvestigating.Or even He does not considerJob 34:21-23Job 24:23; 28:24; 31:412 “1aAn idiot will becomeintelligentWhen the 2foal of a bwilddonkey is born a man.Lit A hollow manLit donkeyPs 39:5, 11; 62:9; 144:4; Eccl 1:2; 11:10Job 39:5
13 “aIf you would bdirect your heartrightAnd cspread out your hand to Him,Job 5:17-27; 11:13-201 Sam 7:3; Ps 78:8Job 22:27; Ps 88:9; 143:614 Ifiniquity is in your hand, aput it faraway,And do not let wickednessdwell in your tents;Job 22:2315 Then, indeed, you could alift up your facewithoutmoraldefect,And you would be steadfast and bnot fear.Job 22:26Ps 27:3; 46:216 “For you would aforgetyourtrouble,As bwaters that have passed by, you would rememberit.Is 65:16Job 22:1117 “Your 1life would be 2abrighterthannoonday;Darkness would be like the morning.Lit duration of lifeLit above noondayJob 22:2618 “Then you would trust, becausethere is hope;And you would lookaround and restsecurely.19 “You would aliedown and none would disturbyou,And many would bentreat your 1favor.Lit faceLev 26:6; Is 17:2; Mic 4:4; Zeph 3:13Is 45:1420 “But the aeyes of the wicked will fail,And 1there will bbe noescape for them;And their chope is 2dto breathe their last.”Lit escape has perished from themLit the expiring of the soulDeut 28:65; Job 17:5Job 27:22; 34:22Job 8:13Job 6:9
2 “Shall a multitude of words not be answered?And should a atalkative man making such a long-winded defense be acquitted?Job 8:2; 15:2; 18:23 “Should your boasts and babble silence men?And shall you ascoff and no one put you to shame?Job 17:2; 21:34 “For ayou have said, ‘My teaching (doctrine)that God knowingly afflicts the righteous is pure,And bI am innocent in your eyes.’ Job 10:7Job 6:10Job 10:75 “But oh, that God would speak,And open His lips to speak against you,6 And that He would show you the secrets of wisdom!For asound wisdom 1has two sides.Know therefore that God forgets a part of byour wickedness and guilt.Lit is double.Job 9:4Job 15:5; 22:5
7 “aCan you discover the depths of God?Can you by searching discover the limits of the Almighty ascend to His heights, extend to His widths, and comprehend His infinite perfection?Job 33:12, 13; 36:26; 37:5, 23; Rom 11:338 “Hiswisdom is as ahigh as the heights of heaven. What can you do?It is deeper than bSheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) . What can you know?Job 22:12; 35:5Job 26:6; 38:179 “It is longer in measure and scope than the earth,And broader than the sea.10 “If God passes by or arrests,Or calls an assembly of judgment, awho can restrain Him?If He is against a man, who can call Him to account for it?Job 9:1211 “For aHe recognizes and knows false and worthless men,And He bsees wickedness, will He not consider it?Job 34:21-23Job 24:23; 28:24; 31:412 “But aa hollow (empty-headed) man will become intelligent and wiseOnly when the 1bcolt of a wild donkey is born as a man.Lit male donkey.Ps 39:5, 11; 62:9; 144:4; Eccl 1:2; 11:10Job 39:5
13 “aIf you direct your bheart on the right pathAnd cstretch out your hands to Him,Job 5:17-27; 11:13-201 Sam 7:3; Ps 78:8Job 22:27; Ps 88:9; 143:614 If sin is in your hand, put it afar away from you,And do not let wrongdoing dwell in your tents;Job 22:2315 Then, indeed, you could alift up your face to Him without moral defect,And you would be firmly established and secure and bnot fear.Job 22:26Ps 27:3; 46:216 “For you would aforget your trouble;You would remember it as bwaters that have passed by.Is 65:16Job 22:1117 “And your 1life would be abrighter than the noonday;Darkness then would be like the morning.Lit lifespan.Job 22:2618 “Then you would trust with confidence, because there is hope;You would look around you and rest securely.19 “You would alie down with no one to frighten you,And many would bentreat and seek your favor.Lev 26:6; Is 17:2; Mic 4:4; Zeph 3:13Is 45:1420 “But the aeyes of the wicked will fail,And they will bnot escape the justice of God;And their chope is dto breathe their last and die.”Deut 28:65; Job 17:5Job 27:22; 34:22Job 8:13Job 6:9