New American Standard Bible 1995

Christian Standard Bible

1Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

2"Can a vigorous man be of use to God, Or a wise man be useful to himself?

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

3"Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, Or profit if you make your ways perfect?

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

4"Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you, That He enters into judgment against you?

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

5"Is not your wickedness great, And your iniquities without end?

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

6"For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And stripped men naked.

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

7"To the weary you have given no water to drink, And from the hungry you have withheld bread.

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

8"But the earth belongs to the mighty man, And the honorable man dwells in it.

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

9"You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the orphans has been crushed.

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

10"Therefore snares surround you, And sudden dread terrifies you,

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

11Or darkness, so that you cannot see, And an abundance of water covers you.

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

12"Is not God in the height of heaven? Look also at the distant stars, how high they are!

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

13"You say, 'What does God know? Can He judge through the thick darkness?

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

14'Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see; And He walks on the vault of heaven.'

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

15"Will you keep to the ancient path Which wicked men have trod,

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

16Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundations were washed away by a river?

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

17"They said to God, 'Depart from us!' And 'What can the Almighty do to them?'

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

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

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

19"The righteous see and are glad, And the innocent mock them,

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

20Saying, 'Truly our adversaries are cut off, And their abundance the fire has consumed.'

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

21"Yield now and be at peace with Him; Thereby good will come to you.

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

22"Please receive instruction from His mouth And establish His words in your heart.

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

23"If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent,

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

24And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,

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

25Then the Almighty will be your gold And choice silver to you.

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

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

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

27"You will pray to Him, and He will hear you; And you will pay your vows.

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

28"You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your ways.

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

29"When you are cast down, you will speak with confidence, And the humble person He will save.

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

30"He will deliver one who is not innocent, And he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."

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

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org

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