1 A nd Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: --

And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2 T o God is a man profitable, Because a wise man to himself is profitable?

Can a man be profitable to God? surely it is unto himself that the wise man is profitable.

3 I s it a delight to the Mighty One That thou art righteous? is it gain, That thou makest perfect thy ways?

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if thou art righteous? And is it gain that thou makest thy ways perfect?

4 B ecause of thy reverence Doth He reason thee? He entereth with thee into judgment:

Will he reason with thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?

5 I s not thy wickedness abundant? And there is no end to thine iniquities.

Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?

6 F or thou takest a pledge of thy brother for nought, And the garments of the naked Thou dost strip off.

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

7 T hou causest not the weary to drink water, And from the hungry thou withholdest bread.

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

8 A s to the man of arm -- he hath the earth, And the accepted of face -- he dwelleth in it.

But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.

9 W idows thou hast sent away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.

Widows hast thou sent empty away, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

10 T herefore round about thee snares, And trouble thee doth fear suddenly.

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

11 O r darkness -- thou dost not see, And abundance of waters doth cover thee.

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

12 I s not God high heaven? And see the summit of the stars, That they are high.

Is not +God in the height of the heavens? And behold the summit of the stars: how exalted are they!

13 A nd thou hast said, `What -- hath God known? Through thickness doth He judge?

And thou sayest, What doth God know? will he judge through the dark cloud?

14 T hick clouds a secret place to Him, And He doth not see;' And the circle of the heavens He walketh habitually,

Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh on the vault of the heavens.

15 T he path of the age dost thou observe, That men of iniquity have trodden?

Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?

16 W ho have been cut down unexpectedly, A flood is poured out on their foundation.

Who were carried off before the time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood;

17 T hose saying to God, `Turn aside from us,' And what doth the Mighty One to them?

Who said unto God, Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do to them?

18 A nd he hath filled their houses good: (And the counsel of the wicked Hath been far from me.)

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

19 S ee do the righteous and they rejoice, And the innocent mocketh at them,

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

20 ` Surely our substance hath not been cut off, And their excellency hath fire consumed.'

Is not he who rose against us destroyed, and doth not the fire consume his residue?

21 A cquaint thyself, I pray thee, with Him, And be at peace, Thereby thine increase good.

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

22 R eceive, I pray thee, from His mouth a law, And set His sayings in thy heart.

Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.

23 I f thou dost return unto the Mighty Thou art built up, Thou puttest iniquity far from thy tents.

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up. If thou remove unrighteousness far from thy tents,

24 S o as to set on the dust a defence, And on a rock of the valleys a covering.

And put the precious ore with the dust, and Ophir among the stones of the torrents,

25 A nd the Mighty hath been thy defence, And silver strength to thee.

Then the Almighty will be thy precious ore, and silver heaped up unto thee;

26 F or then on the Mighty thou delightest thyself, And dost lift up unto God thy face,

Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto +God:

27 T hou dost make supplication unto Him, And He doth hear thee, And thy vows thou completest.

Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;

28 A nd thou decreest a saying, And it is established to thee, And on thy ways hath light shone.

And thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.

29 F or they have made low, And thou sayest, `Lift up.' And the bowed down of eyes he saveth.

When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.

30 H e delivereth the not innocent, Yea, he hath been delivered By the cleanness of thy hands.

him that is not innocent shall he deliver; yea, he shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.