If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.
Parallel translations
- WEB If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away. Don’t let unrighteousness dwell in your tents.
- BSB if you put away the iniquity in your hand, and allow no injustice to dwell in your tents,
- NKJV If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away, And would not let wickedness dwell in your tents;
- NASB If wrongdoing is in your hand, put it far away, And do not let malice dwell in your tents;
- NLT Get rid of your sins, and leave all iniquity behind you.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Zophar tells Job to put away iniquity from his hand and let no wrong dwell in his home. He demands cleansing from sin.
Overview
Zophar urges Job to remove wickedness from his life and household as a condition of restoration. The general principle, to forsake sin, is biblical, but its application to the blameless Job is mistaken (Job 1:1). True cleansing from sin is not finally achieved by self-reform but received through Christ, who washes and renews His people (Isaiah 1:16-18; Titus 3:5).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Job 22:23If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
- Jas 4:8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
- Job 4:7Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?
- Isa 1:15And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
- Zech 5:3–4Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.
- Ezek 18:30–31Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
- Job 34:32That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.
- Ps 101:2I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
- Job 22:5Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 11:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.