1 T hen Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

2 “ Can a man be of use to God? Can a wise man be of use to himself?

Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he that is wise is profitable to himself.

3 I s the All-powerful pleased if you are right and good? Is it of any use to Him if your ways were perfect?

Is it any pleasure or advantage to the Almighty that you are righteous (upright and in right standing with Him)? Or is it gain to Him that you make your ways perfect?

4 I s it because of how you honor God that He speaks strong words to you and punishes you?

Is it for your fear of Him that He reproves you, that He enters with you into judgment?

5 H ave you not done much wrong and your sins have no end?

Is not your wickedness great? There is no end to your iniquities.

6 F or you have taken things from your brothers when they did not owe you anything. You have taken all their clothing and they have had nothing to wear.

For you have taken pledges of your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

7 T o those who were tired, you have given no water to drink. And you have kept bread from the hungry.

You have not given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.

8 B ut you were a powerful and respected man owning land and living on it.

But the man with power possessed the land, and the favored and accepted man dwelt in it.

9 Y ou have sent women away with nothing, whose husbands have died. And you have crushed the strength of children who have no parents.

You have sent widows away empty-handed, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

10 S o traps are all around you, and much fear comes upon you all at once.

Therefore snares are round about you, and sudden fear troubles and overwhelms you;

11 T his is why it is dark and you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.

Your light is darkened, so that you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.

12 “ Is not God high up in heaven? See the highest stars, how high they are!

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

13 S o you say, ‘What does God know? Can He judge through the darkness?

Therefore you say, How and what does God know ? Can He judge through the thick darkness?

14 C louds cover Him so that He cannot see. He walks on the roof of heaven.’

Thick clouds are a covering to Him, so that He does not see, and He walks on the vault of the heavens.

15 W ill you keep to the old way which sinful men have walked?

Will you pay attention and keep to the old way that wicked men trod,

16 T hey were taken away before their time. The ground they stood on was washed away by a river.

Men who were snatched away before their time, whose foundations were poured out like a stream ?

17 T hey said to God, ‘Leave us!’ and ‘What can the All-powerful do to us?’

They said to God, Depart from us, and, What can the Almighty do for or to us?

18 Y et He filled their houses with good things. But the wisdom of the sinful is far from me.

Yet He filled their houses with good. But the counsel of the ungodly is far from me.

19 T hose who are right and good see it and are glad. Those who are without guilt make fun of them,

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

20 s aying, ‘For sure those who hate us are destroyed, and fire has destroyed what they owned.’

Surely those who rose up against us are cut off, and that which remained to them the fire has consumed.

21 “ Agree with God, and be at peace with Him. Then good will come to you.

Acquaint now yourself with Him and be at peace; by that good shall come to you.

22 R eceive the teaching from His mouth, and keep His words in your heart.

Receive, I pray you, the law and instruction from His mouth and lay up His words in your heart.

23 I f you return to the All-powerful, things will be well with you again. Put sin far from your tent.

If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents,

24 P ut your gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the river.

If you lay gold in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brook,

25 T hen the All-powerful will be your gold and silver of much worth.

And make the Almighty your gold and your precious silver treasure,

26 T hen you will have joy in the All-powerful, and lift up your face to God.

Then you will have delight in the Almighty, and you will lift up your face to God.

27 Y ou will pray to Him, and He will hear you. And you will keep your promises to Him.

You will make your prayer to Him, and He will hear you, and you will pay your vows.

28 Y ou will decide something, and it will be done for you. Light will shine on your path.

You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light shall shine upon your ways.

29 F or God puts down the man who is filled with pride. But He saves the one who is not proud.

When they make low, you will say, a lifting up; and the humble person He lifts up and saves.

30 H e will save the man who is even guilty because he will be helped by your hands that are clean.”

He will even deliver the one who is not innocent; yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.