Christian Standard Bible

King James Bible

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?

2Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto 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, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

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

4Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?

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

5Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

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

6For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

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

7Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

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

8But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.

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

9Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

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

10Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;

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

11Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.

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

12Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

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

13And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?

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

14Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.

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

15Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?

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

16Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:

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

17Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?

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: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.

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

20Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.

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

21Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

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

22Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

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

23If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.

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

24Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

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

25Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.

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

26For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

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

27Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.

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

28Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.

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

29When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

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

30He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.

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

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.