Job 11

1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,2 Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?s3 Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?s4 For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.5 But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;6 And 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.

7 Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?8 It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?s9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.10 If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him?ss11 For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?12 For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt.s

13 If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;14 If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.15 For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:16 Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:17 And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.s18 And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.19 Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee.s20 But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.ss

Job 11

Zophar's Counsel

1-6 How Wisdom Looks from the InsideNow it was the turn of Zophar from Naamath: "What a flood of words! Shouldn't we put a stop to it? Should this kind of loose talk be permitted? Job, do you think you can carry on like this and we'll say nothing? That we'll let you rail and mock and not step in? You claim, 'My doctrine is sound and my conduct impeccable.' How I wish God would give you a piece of his mind, tell you what's what! I wish he'd show you how wisdom looks from the inside, for true wisdom is mostly 'inside.' But you can be sure of this, you haven't gotten half of what you deserve.
7-12 "Do you think you can explain the mystery of God? Do you think you can diagram God Almighty? God is far higher than you can imagine, far deeper than you can comprehend, Stretching farther than earth's horizons, far wider than the endless ocean. If he happens along, throws you in jail then hauls you into court, can you do anything about it? He sees through vain pretensions, spots evil a long way off— no one pulls the wool over his eyes! Hollow men, hollow women, will wise up about the same time mules learn to talk.

Reach Out to God

13-20 "Still, if you set your heart on God and reach out to him, If you scrub your hands of sin and refuse to entertain evil in your home, You'll be able to face the world unashamed and keep a firm grip on life, guiltless and fearless. You'll forget your troubles; they'll be like old, faded photographs. Your world will be washed in sunshine, every shadow dispersed by dayspring. Full of hope, you'll relax, confident again; you'll look around, sit back, and take it easy. Expansive, without a care in the world, you'll be hunted out by many for your blessing. But the wicked will see none of this. They're headed down a dead-end road with nothing to look forward to—nothing."