New American Standard Bible NAS
English Standard Version ESV
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded ,
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Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 "Can a vigorous man be of use to God, Or a wise man be useful to himself?
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"Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
3 "Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, Or profit if you make your ways perfect?
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Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?
4 "Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you, That He enters into judgment against you?
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Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you and enters into judgment with you?
5 "Is not your wickedness great, And your iniquities without end?
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Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities.
6 "For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And stripped men naked.
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For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 "To the weary you have given no water to drink, And from the hungry you have withheld bread.
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You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8 "But the earth belongs to the mighty man, And the honorable man dwells in it.
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The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man lived in it.
9 "You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the orphans has been crushed.
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You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed.
10 "Therefore snares surround you, And sudden dread terrifies you,
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Therefore snares are all around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you,
11 Or darkness, so that you cannot see, And an abundance of water covers you.
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or darkness, so that 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!
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"Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are!
13 "You say, 'What does God know? Can He judge through the thick darkness?
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But you say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness?
14 'Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see; And He walks on the vault of heaven.'
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Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.'
15 "Will you keep to the ancient path Which wicked men have trod,
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Will you keep to the old way that wicked men have trod?
16 Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundations were washed away by a river?
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They were snatched away before their time; their foundation was washed away.
17 "They said to God, 'Depart from us!' And 'What can the Almighty do to them?'
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They said to God, 'Depart from us,' 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 counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 "The righteous see and are glad, And the innocent mock them,
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The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent one mocks at them,
20 Saying, 'Truly our adversaries are cut off, And their abundance the fire has consumed.'
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saying, 'Surely our adversaries are cut off, and what they left the fire has consumed.'
21 "Yield now and be at peace with Him; Thereby good will come to you.
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"Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you.
22 "Please receive instruction from His mouth And establish His words in your heart.
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Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
23 "If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent,
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If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you remove injustice far from your tents,
24 And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,
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if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed,
25 Then the Almighty will be your gold And choice silver to you.
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then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver.
26 "For then you will delight in the Almighty And lift up your face to God.
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For then you will delight yourself 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.
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You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows.
28 "You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your 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 you are cast down, you will speak with confidence, And the humble person He will save.
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For when they are humbled you say, 'It is because of pride'; but he saves the lowly.
30 "He will deliver one who is not innocent, And he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."
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He delivers even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California. All rights reserved.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.