11
Zophar’s first speech to Job
1 Then Zophar, from the Naamah area, said this to Job:
2 “◄Should no one answer all that you have said?/Someone should certainly answer all that you have said.► [RHQ]
Just because you talk a lot, ◄should that cause us to declare that you <are innocent/have done nothing wrong>?/that should not cause us to declare that you <are innocent/have done nothing wrong>.► [RHQ]
3 Job, ◄should your babbling cause us to be silent?/your babbling should certainly not cause us to be silent.► [RHQ]
When you make fun of us, shall no one rebuke you and cause you to be ashamed?
4 You say, ‘What I say is true;
God knows that I am ◄innocent/without guilt►.’
5 But I wish/desire that God would talk
and say something [MTY] to answer you!
6 God knows everything about everything,
so I wish/desire that he would tell you the secrets that he knows because he is wise.
But you need to know that God is punishing you less than you deserve!
7 “Tell me, will you ever be able to find out the things about God that are very difficult to understand?
Will you be able to find out everything that there is to know about Almighty God?
8 What there is to know about God is greater than the distance from earth to heaven;
so there is no way [RHQ] that you can understand it all.
It is greater than the distance from here to the place of the dead;
so it is impossible for you [RHQ] to know it all.
9 What there is to know about God is wider than the earth
and wider than the ocean.
10 “If God comes to you and puts you in prison and then brings you to a court,
◄who can stop him?/no one can stop him.► [RHQ]
11 He knows which people are worthless;
and when he sees people doing wicked things, ◄will he ignore it?/he will certainly not ignore it!► [RHQ]
12 Stupid people like you will start to become wise [SAR]
when wild donkeys stop giving birth to wild donkeys and start giving birth to tame donkeys.
13 “Job, repent [IDM];
reach out your hands to seek God’s help.
14 If you have done evil things, stop doing them;
and do not allow any people in your house to do wicked things.
15 If you do what I have said, surely you will lift up your head because you will not be ashamed;
you will be strong, and not afraid of anything.
16 You will forget all your troubles;
they will be like the water of a flood that has all disappeared.
17 Your troubles will be ended, like the darkness ends at the dawn;
it will be as though [MET] the sun is shining brightly on you, like it shines at noon.
18 You will feel safe/secure, because you will confidently expect that good things will happen to you;
God will protect you and enable you to rest safely each night.
19 You will lie down, and no one will cause you to be afraid.
And many people will come and request you to do things for them.
20 But wicked people [SYN] will not be able to understand why bad things are happening to them;
they will not have any way to escape from their troubles.
The only thing that they will want to do is to die. [EUP]”