Zophar Speaks: You Deserve Worse

¹Then dZophar the Naamathite answered and said:

²“Should ea multitude of words go unanswered,

and a man full of talk be judged right?

³Should your babble silence men,

and when you mock, shall no one shame you?

⁴For fyou say, ‘My gdoctrine is pure,

and I am clean in God's1 eyes.’

⁵But oh, that God would speak

and open his lips to you,

⁶and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom!

For he is manifold in hunderstanding.2

Know then that God iexacts of you less than your guilt deserves.

⁷j“Can you find out the deep things of God?

Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?

⁸It is khigher than heaven3—what can you do?

Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?

⁹Its measure is longer than the earth

and broader than the sea.

¹⁰If he lpasses through and mimprisons

and summons the court, who can nturn him back?

¹¹For he knows oworthless men;

when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?

¹²But a stupid man will get understanding

when pa wild donkey's colt is qborn a man!

¹³“If you rprepare your heart,

you will sstretch out your hands toward him.

¹⁴If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,

and let not injustice dwell in your tents.

¹⁵Surely then you will tlift up your face without ublemish;

you will be secure and will not fear.

¹⁶You will vforget your misery;

you will remember it as waters that have passed away.

¹⁷And your life will be wbrighter than the noonday;

its darkness will be like the morning.

¹⁸And you will feel secure, because there is hope;

you will look around and xtake your rest in security.

¹⁹You will xlie down, and none will make you afraid;

many will ycourt your favor.

²⁰But zthe eyes of the wicked will fail;

all way of escape will be lost to them,

and their hope is ato breathe their last.”