Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
Should not the multitude of words be answered?
And should a man full of talk be justified?
Should thy boastings make men hold their peace?
And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?
For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure,
And I am clean in thine eyes.
But oh that God would speak,
And open his lips against thee,
And that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom!
For he is manifold in understanding.
Know therefore that God {Or, remitteth (Hebrew: causeth to be forgotten) unto thee of thine iniquity}exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.
{Or, Canst thou find out the deep things of God?}Canst thou by searching find out God?
Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
{Hebrew: The heights of heaven.}It is high as heaven; what canst thou do?
Deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know?
The measure thereof is longer than the earth,
And broader than the sea.
If he pass through, and shut up,
And {Hebrew: call an assembly.}call unto judgment, then who can hinder him?
For he knoweth false men:
He seeth iniquity also, {Or, and him that considereth not}even though he consider it not.
{Or, But an empty man will get understanding, when a wild ass's colt is born a man}But vain man is void of understanding,
Yea, man is born as a wild ass's colt.
If thou set thy heart aright,
And stretch out thy hands toward him;
If iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away,
And let not unrighteousness dwell in thy tents.
Surely then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot;
Yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:
For thou shalt forget thy misery;
Thou shalt remember it as waters that are passed away,
And thy life shall {Or, rise above}be clearer than the noonday;
Though there be darkness, it shall be as the morning.
And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope;
Yea, thou shalt search about thee, and shalt take thy rest in safety.
Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid;
Yea, many shall make suit unto thee.
But the eyes of the wicked shall fail,
And {Hebrew: refuge is perished from them.}they shall have no way to flee;
And their hope shall be the giving up of the ghost.
Querverweise zu Hiob 11,13 Hiob 11,13
But as for me, I would seek unto God,And unto God would I commit my cause;
Princes shall come out of Egypt; {Hebrew: Cush.}Ethiopia shall haste to stretch out her hands unto God.
If thou wouldest seek diligently unto God,And make thy supplication to the Almighty;
Mine eye wasteth away by reason of affliction:I have called daily upon thee, O Jehovah;I have spread forth my hands unto thee.
If thou wert pure and upright:Surely now he would awake for thee,And make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
I spread forth my hands unto thee:My soul thirsteth after thee, as a weary land. [Selah
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: {Or,as otherwise read, Thereby shall thine increase be good.}Thereby good shall come unto thee.
Receive, I pray thee, {Or, instruction}the law from his mouth,And lay up his words in thy heart.
And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto Jehovah with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts unto Jehovah, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
And he did that which was evil, because he set not his heart to seek Jehovah.
Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast put away the Asheroth out of the land, and hast set thy heart to seek God.
And might not be as their fathers,A stubborn and rebellious generation,A generation {Or, that prepared not their hearts}that set not their heart aright,And whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
And that {Greek: bondservant.}servant, who knew his lord's will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes;