Job 11
1 And Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
Then Zophar, from [the] Naamah [area], said this to Job:
2 Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man of much talk be justified?
“(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 Should thy fictions make men hold their peace? and shouldest thou mock, and no one make [thee] ashamed?
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 For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.
You say, ‘What I say is true; God knows that I am (innocent/without guilt).’
5 But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;
But I wish/desire that God would talk and say something [MTY] to answer you!
6 And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, how that they are the double of what is realised; and know that God passeth by [much] of thine iniquity!
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 Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection?
[“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 [It is as] the heights of heaven; what wilt thou do? deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know? (Sheol h7585)
[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. (Sheol h7585)
9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.
What there is to know about God is wider than the earth and wider than the ocean.
10 If he pass by, and shut up, and call to judgment, who can hinder him?
“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 For he knoweth vain men, and seeth wickedness when [man] doth not consider it;
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 Yet a senseless man will make bold, though man be born [like] the foal of a wild ass.
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 If thou prepare thy heart and stretch out thy hands toward him,
“Job, repent [IDM]; reach out your hands to seek God’s help.
14 If thou put far away the iniquity which is in thy hand, and let not wrong dwell in thy tents;
If you have done evil things, stop doing them; and do not allow any people in your house to do wicked things.
15 Surely then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot, and thou shalt be stedfast and shalt not fear:
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 For thou shalt forget misery; as waters that are passed away shalt thou remember it;
You will forget all your troubles; they will be like [the] water [of a flood] that has all disappeared.
17 And life shall arise brighter than noonday; though thou be enshrouded in darkness, thou shalt be as the morning,
[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 And thou shalt have confidence, because there shall be hope; and having searched about [thee], thou shalt take rest in safety.
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 Yea, thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; and many shall seek thy favour.
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 the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and [all] refuge shall vanish from them, and their hope [shall be] the breathing out of life.
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]”
