GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New King James Version NKJV
1 Then Eliphaz from Teman replied [to Job],
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Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 "Can a human be of any use to God when even a wise person is only useful to himself?
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"Can a man be profitable to God, Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?
3 Is the Almighty pleased when you are righteous? Does he gain anything when you follow the path of integrity?
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Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or is it gain to Him that you make your ways blameless?
4 Does God correct you and bring you into a court of law because you fear him?
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"Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you, And enters into judgment with you?
5 "Aren't you really very wicked? Is there no end to your wrongdoing?
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Is not your wickedness great, And your iniquity without end?
6 For no reason you take your brothers' goods as security for a loan and strip them of their clothes.
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For you have taken pledges from your brother for no reason, And stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 You don't even give a tired person a drink of water, and you take food away from hungry people.
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You have not given the weary water to drink, And you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8 A strong person owns the land. A privileged person lives in it.
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But the mighty man possessed the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it.
9 You send widows away empty-handed, and the arms of orphans are broken.
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You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the fatherless was crushed.
10 That is why traps are all around you and great fear suddenly grips you.
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Therefore snares are all around you, And sudden fear troubles you,
11 [That is why] darkness surrounds you and you cannot see and a flood of water covers you.
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Or darkness so that you cannot see; And an abundance of water covers you.
12 "Isn't God high above in the heavens? Look how high the highest stars are!
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"Is not God in the height of heaven? And see the highest stars, how lofty they are!
13 You ask, 'What does God know? Can he judge [anything] from behind a dark cloud?
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And you say, 'What does God know? Can He judge through the deep darkness?
14 Thick clouds surround him so that he cannot see. He walks above the clouds.'
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Thick clouds cover Him, so that He cannot see, And He walks above the circle of heaven.'
15 "Are you following the old path that wicked people have taken?
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Will you keep to the old way Which wicked men have trod,
16 They are snatched up before their time. A river washes their foundation away.
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Who were cut down before their time, Whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
17 They told God, 'Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do for us?'
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They said to God, 'Depart from us! What can the Almighty do to them?'
18 Yet, he filled their homes with good things. (The plan of the wicked is foreign to my way of thinking.)
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Yet He filled their houses with good things; But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous saw it and were glad, and the innocent made fun of them by saying,
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"The righteous see it and are glad, And the innocent laugh at them:
20 'Indeed, their wealth has been wiped out, and a fire has burned up what [little] they had left.'
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'Surely our adversaries are cut down, And the fire consumes their remnant.'
21 "Be in harmony and at peace with God. In this way you will have prosperity.
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"Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you.
22 Accept instruction from his mouth, and keep his words in your heart.
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Receive, please, instruction from His mouth, And lay up His words in your heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will prosper. If you put wrongdoing out of your tent,
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If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; You will remove iniquity far from your tents.
24 and lay your gold down in the dust, and put your gold from Ophir among the pebbles in the rivers,
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Then you will lay your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
25 then the Almighty will become your gold and your large supply of silver.
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Yes, the Almighty will be your gold And your precious silver;
26 Then you will be happy with the Almighty and look up toward God.
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For then you will have your delight in the Almighty, And lift up your face to God.
27 You will pray to him, and he will listen to you, and you will keep your vow to him.
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You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you, And you will pay your vows.
28 When you promise to do something, you will succeed, and light will shine on your path.
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You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways.
29 When others are discouraged, you will say, 'Cheer up!' Then he will save the humble person.
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When they cast you down, and you say, 'Exaltation will come!' Then He will save the humble person.
30 He will rescue one who is not innocent. That person will be rescued by your purity."
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He will even deliver one who is not innocent; Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands."