1 ARST Then Zophar, Job’ s friend from the town of Naamah, responded to Job. He said, BSB BSB: Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
2 ARST “I would like to respond to the long speech that you have just given. You talk a lot about how innocent you are, but that does not mean that you truly are innocent. BSB BSB: “Should this stream of words go unanswered and such a speaker be vindicated?
3 ARST You have boasted that you are innocent, and I need to talk back in response. You have said disrespectful things about God. I need to tell you that you should be ashamed! BSB BSB: Should your babbling put others to silence? Will you scoff without rebuke?
4 ARST I need to correct you because you have told God,‘I believe the right things, and you know that I have done the right things.’ BSB BSB: You have said, ‘My doctrine is sound, and I am pure in Your sight.’
5 ARST If only God would speak and say something to correct you! BSB BSB: But if only God would speak and open His lips against you,
6 ARST If only God would tell you the secrets that he knows because he is so wise!{ You need to realize that} God knows far more than you do. If you could understand as God does, you would realize that God is punishing you less than you deserve! BSB BSB: and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know then that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves.
7 ARST You will never be able to understand God by thinking hard about him. No, you will never be able to find out everything about Shaddai. BSB BSB: Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?
8 ARST God’ s wisdom is so much greater than ours, it is as if it is higher than the sky. So there is nothing you can do to understand it all. It is as if God’ s wisdom is deeper below the earth than the place where dead people go. So it is impossible for you to know it all. BSB BSB: They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
9 ARST There is so much to know about God that it is as if that knowledge is longer than the earth and wider than the ocean. BSB BSB: Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.
10 ARST If God wants to arrest you and put you on trial, no one can stop him from doing that. BSB BSB: If He comes along to imprison you, or convenes a court, who can stop Him?
11 ARST { God is a trustworthy judge} because he knows which people have bad character. When God sees people doing wicked things, he punishes them. BSB BSB: Surely He knows the deceit of men. If He sees iniquity, does He not take note?
12 ARST Some people simply have no understanding. They will become wise when humans start having wild donkeys as babies{— that is, never!} BSB BSB: But a witless man can no more become wise than the colt of a wild donkey can be born a man!
13 ARST Job, I urge you to repent humbly and pray sincerely to God. BSB BSB: As for you, if you direct your heart and lift up your hands to Him,
14 ARST If you have been doing evil things, stop doing them. If you do nothing wrong in any part of your life, BSB BSB: if you put away the iniquity in your hand, and allow no injustice to dwell in your tents,
15 ARST then you will be able to act as a person who is not ashamed of anything. You will be strong, and you will not be afraid of anything. BSB BSB: then indeed you will lift up your face without blemish; you will stand firm and unafraid.
16 ARST You will not be afraid, because you will forget all the bad things that happened to you. They will all be gone, like the water that flows away down a river. BSB BSB: For you will forget your misery, recalling it only as waters gone by.
17 ARST Your life will be happy again. It will be as if the sun were shining on you as brightly as it shines at mid- day. You have had many troubles, but they will end, just as night ends when the sun rises. BSB BSB: Your life will be brighter than noonday; its darkness will be like the morning.
18 ARST You will feel safe because you will be confident that good things will happen to you. You will think about your life and realize that you can go to bed and sleep peacefully. BSB BSB: You will be secure, because there is hope, and you will look around and lie down in safety.
19 ARST You will lie down to sleep and nothing will scare you. Many people will come and ask you to be kind to them. BSB BSB: You will lie down without fear, and many will court your favor.
20 ARST But God will punish wicked people by making them die. They will not be able to escape from God’ s punishment. They will hope to live, but they will die anyway.” BSB BSB: But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; they will hope for their last breath.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.