Christian Standard Bible

English Standard Version

1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

2Can a man be of any use to God? Can even a wise man be of use to him?

2“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.

3Does it delight the Almighty if you are righteous? Does he profit if you perfect your behavior?

3Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?

4Does he correct you and take you to court because of your piety?

4Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you and enters into judgment with you?

5Isn't your wickedness abundant and aren't your iniquities endless?

5Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities.

6For you took collateral from your brothers without cause, stripping off their clothes and leaving them naked.

6For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing and stripped the naked of their clothing.

7You gave no water to the thirsty and withheld food from the famished,

7You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.

8while the land belonged to a powerful man and an influential man lived on it.

8The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man lived in it.

9You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

9You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed.

10Therefore snares surround you, and sudden dread terrifies you,

10Therefore snares are all around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you,

11or darkness, so you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.

11or darkness, so that you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.

12Isn't God as high as the heavens? And look at the highest stars--how lofty they are!

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

13Yet you say, "What does God know? Can he judge through total darkness?

13But you say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness?

14Clouds veil him so that he cannot see, as he walks on the circle of the sky."

14Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.’

15Will you continue on the ancient path that wicked men have walked?

15Will you keep to the old way that wicked men have trod?

16They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were washed away by a river.

16They were snatched away before their time; their foundation was washed away.

17They were the ones who said to God, "Leave us alone!" and "What can the Almighty do to us?"

17They said to God, ‘Depart from us,’ and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’

18But it was he who filled their houses with good things. The counsel of the wicked is far from me!

18Yet he filled their houses with good things— but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19The righteous see this and rejoice; the innocent mock them, saying,

19The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent one mocks at them,

20"Surely our opponents are destroyed, and fire has consumed what they left behind."

20saying, ‘Surely our adversaries are cut off, and what they left the fire has consumed.’

21Come to terms with God and be at peace; in this way good will come to you.

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

22Receive instruction from his mouth, and place his sayings in your heart.

22Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.

23If you return to the Almighty, you will be renewed. If you banish injustice from your tent

23If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you remove injustice far from your tents,

24and consign your gold to the dust, the gold of Ophir to the stones in the wadis,

24if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed,

25the Almighty will be your gold and your finest silver.

25then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver.

26Then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.

26For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.

27You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.

27You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows.

28When you make a decision, it will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways.

28You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.

29When others are humiliated and you say, "Lift them up," God will save the humble.

29For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’; but he saves the lowly.

30He will even rescue the guilty one, who will be rescued by the purity of your hands.

30He delivers even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.