Zophar Speaks: You Deserve Worse
1 Then dZophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2 “Should ea multitude of words go unanswered,
and a man full of talk be judged right?
3 Should your babble silence men,
and when you mock, shall no one shame you?
4 For fyou say, ‘My gdoctrine is pure,
and I am clean in God’s1 eyes.’
5 But oh, that God would speak
and open his lips to you,
6 and 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.
7 j“Can you find out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
8 It is khigher than heaven3—what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
9 Its measure is longer than the earth
and broader than the sea.
10 If he lpasses through and mimprisons
and summons the court, who can nturn him back?
11 For he knows oworthless men;
when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?
12 But a stupid man will get understanding
13 “If you rprepare your heart,
you will sstretch out your hands toward him.
14 If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
and let not injustice dwell in your tents.
15 Surely then you will tlift up your face without ublemish;
you will be secure and will not fear.
16 You will vforget your misery;
you will remember it as waters that have passed away.
17 And your life will be wbrighter than the noonday;
its darkness will be like the morning.
18 And you will feel secure, because there is hope;
you will look around and xtake your rest in security.
19 You will xlie down, and none will make you afraid;
many will ycourt your favor.
20 But zthe eyes of the wicked will fail;
all way of escape will be lost to them,
and their hope is ato breathe their last.”
The Authority of the Son
19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, ethe Son fcan do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father1 does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For gthe Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And hgreater works than these will he show him, so that iyou may marvel. 21 For as the Father jraises the dead and kgives them life, so lalso the Son gives life mto whom he will. 22 nFor the Father judges no one, but ohas given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they phonor the Father. qWhoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, rwhoever hears my word and sbelieves him who sent me has eternal life. He tdoes not come into judgment, but uhas passed from death to life.
25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, van hour is coming, and is now here, when wthe dead will hear xthe voice of the Son of God, and those who hear wwill live. 26 yFor as the Father has life in himself, zso he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he ahas given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for van hour is coming when ball who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, cthose who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
