1Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
1Then Zophar the Naamathite answered, and said:
2“Should this stream of words go unanswered
and such a speaker be vindicated?
2“Shall a multitude of words not be answered? And should a man of lips be justified?
3Should your babbling put others to silence?
Will you scoff without rebuke?
3Shall your idle boasts cause men to be silent? And will you mock, and no one is ashamed?
4You have said, ‘My doctrine is sound,
and I am pure in Your sight.’
4For you have said, ‘My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in Your eyes.’
5But if only God would speak
and open His lips against you,
5But who will give God to speak, and open His lips against you,
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 declare to you the secrets of wisdom—for there are two sides to wisdom. And know that God forgets some of your iniquity.
7Can you fathom the deep things of God
or discover the limits of the Almighty?
7Can you find out the searching of God? Or can you find out unto the limit of Shaddai?
8They are higher than the heavens—what can you do?
They are deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
8The heights of the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
9Their measure is longer than the earth
and wider than the sea.
9Longer than the earth is its measure, and wider than the sea.
10If He comes along to imprison you,
or convenes a court, who can stop Him?
10If He passes by and imprisons and assembles, then who can turn Him back?
11Surely He knows the deceit of men.
If He sees iniquity, does He not take note?
11For He knows the men of vanity, and He sees iniquity—will He not then discern it?
12But a witless man can no more become wise
than the colt of a wild donkey can be born a man!a
12But a man who is hollow will become wise when the colt of a wild donkey is born as a man!
13As for you, if you direct your heart
and lift up your hands to Him,
13If you would prepare your heart, and stretch out your hands to Him,
14if you put away the iniquity in your hand,
and allow no injustice to dwell in your tents,
14if iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and do not let injustice dwell in your tents.
15then indeed you will lift up your face without blemish;
you will stand firm and unafraid.
15Surely then you could lift up your face without blemish, and you could be established and not fear.
16For you will forget your misery,
recalling it only as waters gone by.
16For you would forget your toil, and remember it as waters pass by.
17Your life will be brighter than noonday;
its darkness will be like the morning.
17And more than noon life will arise; darkness will become like the morning.
18You will be secure, because there is hope,
and you will look around and lie down in safety.
18And you will be secure, because there is hope, and you will search and lie down in safety.
19You will lie down without fear,
and many will court your favor.
19Then You will lie down, and there will be no one making you tremble, and many will seek favor from your face.
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 will fail, and escape will perish from them, and their hope be a puff of the soul.”