Zophar's First Response To Job

1 ZOPHAR THE NAAMATHITE REPLIED:

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite (a)answered,

1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:

1 Zophar from Naamath had this to say:

2 Are all these words to go unanswered? Is this talker to be vindicated?

2 “Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,And a (A)talkative man be acquitted?

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

2 Should this stream of words(A) go unansweredand such a talker(a) be acquitted?

2 "Shouldn't a multitude of words be answered, or a person who talks too much be vindicated?

3 Should your idle talk reduce men to silence? Should no one rebuke you when you mock?

3 “Shall your boasts silence men?And shall you (B)scoff and none rebuke?

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

3 Should your babbling put others to silence,so that you can keep on ridiculingwith no one to humiliate you?

3 Will your irrational babble silence people, and when you mock them, will you escape without being shamed?

4 You say to God: 'My beliefs are flawless and I am pure in your sight.'

4 “For (C)you have said, ‘My teaching is pure,And (D)I am innocent in your eyes.’

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

4 You have said, “My teaching(B) is sound,and I am pure in Your sight.”

4 You've said, "My teaching is flawless; I'm clean in God's sight.'

5 How I wish that God would speak, that he would open his lips against you

5 “But would that God might speak,And open His lips against you,

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

5 But if only God would speakand declare His case(b) against you,

5 "But what if God were to speak? What if he were to talk with you,

6 and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.

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.

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.

6 He would show you the secrets of wisdom,(C)for true wisdom has two sides.Know then that God has chosen to overlook some of your sin.(D)

6 and disclose his wise secrets? After all, there's so much more to understanding. So be aware that God will exact from you less than your sin deserves."

God Can Do As He Pleases

7 Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?

7 (G)Can you discover the depths of God?Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?

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

7 Can you fathom the depths of Godor discover the limits of the Almighty?(E)

7 "Can you search through God's complex things? Can you uncover the limits of the Almighty?

8 They are higher than the heavens. What can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave. What can you know?

8 “They are (H)high as (d)the heavens, what can you do?Deeper than (e)(I)Sheol, what can you know?

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

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

8 These things are higher than the heavens, so what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol, so what can you know?

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

9 “Its measure is longer than the earthAnd broader than the sea.

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

9 Their measure is longer than the earthand wider than the sea.

9 They are longer than the earth's circumference, and broader than the ocean.

10 Who can oppose the one who passes by and confines you in prison and convenes a court?

10 “If He passes by or shuts up,Or calls an assembly, (J)who can restrain Him?

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

10 If He passes by and throws someone in prisonor convenes a court, who can stop Him?(G)

10 "If he bypasses, or imprisons, or convenes a court, who can stop him?

11 He recognizes deceitful men. When he sees evil, does he not take note?

11 “For (K)He knows false men,And He (L)sees iniquity (f)without investigating.

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

11 Surely He knows which people are worthless.If He sees iniquity, will He not take note of it?(H)

11 For he knows mankind's deceitfulness; when he sees iniquity, won't he himself consider it?

12 An empty headed man can no more become wise than a wild donkey's colt can be born a man.

12 (g)(M)An idiot will become intelligentWhen the (h)foal of a (N)wild donkey is born a man.

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

12 But a stupid man will gain understandingas soon as a wild donkey is born a man!

12 An empty-headed person will gain understanding when a wild donkey is born a human being!"

Confess Your Sin And Be Forgiven

13 Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him,

13 (O)If you would (P)direct your heart rightAnd (Q)spread out your hand to Him,

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

13 As for you, if you redirect your heartand lift up your hands to Him in prayer—

13 "Now for you, if you will prepare your heart, spread out your hands to him.

14 if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent,

14 If iniquity is in your hand, (R)put it far away,And do not let wickedness dwell in your tents;

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

14 if there is iniquity in your hand, remove it,and don’t allow injustice to dwell in your tents—

14 If you have any iniquity, throw it far away. Don't let evil live in your residence.

15 then you will lift up your face without shame. You will stand firm without fear.

15 “Then, indeed, you could (S)lift up your face without moral defect,And you would be steadfast and (T)not fear.

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

15 then you will hold your head high, free from fault.You will be firmly established and unafraid.(I)

15 Then your confidence will be flawless, and your security will keep you from terror.

16 You will forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by.

16 “For you would (U)forget your trouble,As (V)waters that have passed by, you would remember it.

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

16 For you will forget your suffering,recalling it only as waters that have flowed by.

16 You'll forget your suffering; you'll remember it like water that has evaporated.

17 Life will be brighter than noonday, and darkness will become like morning.

17 “Your (i)life would be (j)(W)brighter than noonday;Darkness would be like the morning.

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

17 Your life will be brighter than noonday;its darkness(c) will be like the morning.(J)

17 Your life will be brighter than noonday. Even its darkness will be like dawn.

18 You will be secure because there is hope. You will look about you and take your rest in safety.

18 “Then you would trust, because there is hope;And you would look around and rest securely.

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

18 You will be confident, because there is hope.(K)You will look carefully about and lie down in safety.(L)

18 You'll be secure, because there is hope; you'll see that you're at rest and safe.

19 You will lie down and no one will make you afraid. Many will entreat your favor.

19 “You would (X)lie down and none would disturb you,And many would (Y)entreat your (k)favor.

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

19 You will lie down without fear,and many will seek your favor.(M)

19 When you sleep, there'll be nothing to fear; and many will court your favor.

20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail and they will not escape. Their hope will become a dying gasp.

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.”

20 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.

20 But the sight of the wicked(N) will fail.Their way of escape will be cut off,and their only hope is their last breath.(O)

20 But what the wicked look for will fail; their way of escape will be taken away from them; their only hope is to take their final breath."

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