King James Version KJV
New Revised Standard NRS
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
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Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
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"Can a mortal be of use to God? Can even the wisest be of service to him?
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
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Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?
4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
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Is it for your piety that he reproves you, and enters into judgment with you?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
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Is not your wickedness great? There is no end to your iniquities.
6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
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For you have exacted pledges from your family for no reason, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
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You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
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The powerful possess the land, and the favored live in it.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
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You have sent widows away empty-handed, and the arms of the orphans you have crushed.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
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Therefore snares are around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you,
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.
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or darkness so that you cannot see; a flood of water covers you.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
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"Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are!
13 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?
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Therefore you say, "What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
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Thick clouds enwrap him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the dome of heaven.'
15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
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Will you keep to the old way that the wicked have trod?
16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:
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They were snatched away before their time; their foundation was washed away by a flood.
17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?
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They 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.
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Yet he filled their houses with good things— but the plans of the wicked are repugnant to me.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
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The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent laugh them to scorn,
20 Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.
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saying, "Surely our adversaries are cut off, and what they left, the fire has consumed.'
21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
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"Agree with God, and be at peace; in this way good will come to you.
22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
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Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
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If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored, if you remove unrighteousness from your tents,
24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
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if you treat gold like dust, and gold of Ophir like the stones of the torrent-bed,
25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
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and if the Almighty is your gold and your precious silver,
26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
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then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and lift up your face to God.
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.
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You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows.
28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
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You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.
29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
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When others are humiliated, you say it is pride; for he saves the humble.
30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
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He will deliver even those who are guilty; they will escape because of the cleanness of your hands."
The King James Version is in the public domain.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.