Zophar’s Answer Should not...be answered by others because of the multitude of his words?

Your fabrications that you invent from your heart.

may silence men Heb. מתים, people.

You said to the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘My doctrine is pure, and I was clean in Your eyes.’

mysteries of wisdom and you would know that the wisdom is double, i.e., the Torah that you did not fulfill.

that [God] lends Heb. ישה, like (Deut.24: 10), “If you lend (תשה) your friend.” He has yet a large debt over you in the matters of your iniquity.

Can you find out the mystery of God that you think that you have fulfilled everything?

[In] the heights of heaven [About] something that is as high as the heights of heaven, what can you do? And the wisdom is deeper than the grave.

its measure Heb. מדה, its measure, but here he mentions measure with a masculine noun (since he did not say, מדתה).

If He passes and confines with pains the one He wishes,

and He assembles all His divine ministers to justify His act in having confined.

who among them can hinder Him with words to find injustice in His act? And if because the One being judged is tranquil and silent for many days, that is His way.

For He knows deceitful people; when He sees iniquity, He does not consider it [He sees the iniquity] that they commit for days and years, and it seems as though He does not consider it because He is slow to anger.

But an empty man a hollow man, without a heart [i.e., understanding], who did not understand His way.

will gain understanding Heb. ילבב, he will gain for himself a heart [i.e., understanding] to return to his Creator and to search through his deeds—or [he will remain] a man who was like a wild donkey, accustomed to the desert, hasty, without sense.

a man will be born He will teach himself to be a new man according to the order of people, and he will determine his way.

If you would aim your heart after your pains.

and spread out your hands to Him in supplication.

Distance iniquity from your hand, and do not allow injustice to dwell in your tents.

For then you would be sure that you could lift your face unblemished, for you would cause yourself to lift your face without any blemish. Because of this...

and you shall be strong Heb. מצק, strong, like (I Sam. 2:8), “the pillars of (מצקי) the earth,”

and you shall forget all your trouble.

like water that has passed and gone by, so shall be the entire memory of your trouble.

And your luck shall rise more than midday Heb. חלד. More than the light of midday, חֶלֶד shall rise for you, i.e., luck and time, like (Ps. 39:6), “and my age (חלדי) is as nothing before You.” Another explanation: יקום חָלֶד: means, The light of your rust shall rise; i.e., your darkest place shall illuminate more than the light of midday. I heard this, but the first [explanation] does not please me (not found in some editions).

your darkness Heb. תעפה. Your darkness shall be like the morning. Another explanation: תָּעֻפָה is an expression of (3:8) “the rays of (עפעפי) dawn.” Because, if it is an expression of darkness, he should have said, “תעוּפה” like תנוּפה, waving, תקוּמה rising, תרוּמה, raising, תנוּמה, slumber.

And the eyes of the wicked your enemies,

will fail when they turn to your troubles to see, but will not achieve their desire. Every expression of כליון עינים failure of the eyes, in the holy tongue means one who looks forward to see something but does not achieve [his wish], and as (Deut. 28:32) “and languish (כלות) for them etc.”

way to flee Heb. מנוס. That is a refuge

and their hope What they hope to see in you will be intense grief for them.