1 T hen Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2 “ Can a man be profitable to God, Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?

Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?

3 I s it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or is it gain to Him that you make your ways blameless?

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

4 “ Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you, And enters into judgment with you?

Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?

5 I s not your wickedness great, And your iniquity without end?

Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

6 F or you have taken pledges from your brother for no reason, And stripped the naked of their clothing.

For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

7 Y ou have not given the weary water to drink, And you have withheld bread from the hungry.

Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

8 B ut the mighty man possessed the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it.

But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.

9 Y ou have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

10 T herefore snares are all around you, And sudden fear troubles you,

Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;

11 O r darkness so that you cannot see; And an abundance of water covers you.

Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.

12 “ Is not God in the height of heaven? And see the highest stars, how lofty they are!

Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

13 A nd you say, ‘What does God know? Can He judge through the deep darkness?

And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?

14 T hick clouds cover Him, so that He cannot see, And He walks above the circle of heaven.’

Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.

15 W ill you keep to the old way Which wicked men have trod,

Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?

16 W ho were cut down before their time, Whose foundations were swept away by a flood?

Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:

17 T hey said to God, ‘Depart from us! What can the Almighty do to them?’

Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?

18 Y et He filled their houses with good things; But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19 “ The righteous see it and are glad, And the innocent laugh at them:

The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.

20 ‘ Surely our adversaries are cut down, And the fire consumes their remnant.’

Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.

21 “ Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you.

Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

22 R eceive, please, instruction from His mouth, And lay up His words in your heart.

Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

23 I f you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; You will remove iniquity far from your tents.

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.

24 T hen you will lay your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.

Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

25 Y es, the Almighty will be your gold And your precious silver;

Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.

26 F or then you will have your delight in the Almighty, And lift up your face to God.

For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

27 Y ou will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you, And you will pay your vows.

Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.

28 Y ou will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways.

Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.

29 W hen they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come! ’ Then He will save the humble person.

When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

30 H e will even deliver one who is not innocent; Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.”

He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.