New International Version NIV
American Standard Version ASV
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
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Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
2 “Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise person benefit him?
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Can a man be profitable unto God? Surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself.
3 What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous? What would he gain if your ways were blameless?
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Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain [to him], that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 “Is it for your piety that he rebukes you and brings charges against you?
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Is it for thy fear [of him] that he reproveth thee, That he entereth with thee into judgment?
5 Is not your wickedness great? Are not your sins endless?
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Is not thy wickedness great? Neither is there any end to thine iniquities.
6 You demanded security from your relatives for no reason; you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.
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For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, And stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 You gave no water to the weary and you withheld food from the hungry,
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Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 though you were a powerful man, owning land— an honored man, living on it.
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But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; And the honorable man, he dwelt in it.
9 And you sent widows away empty-handed and broke the strength of the fatherless.
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Thou hast sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 That is why snares are all around you, why sudden peril terrifies you,
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Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear troubleth thee,
11 why it is so dark you cannot see, and why a flood of water covers you.
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Or darkness, so that thou canst not see, And abundance of waters cover thee.
12 “Is not God in the heights of heaven? And see how lofty are the highest stars!
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Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 Yet you say, ‘What does God know? Does he judge through such darkness?
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And thou sayest, What doth God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds veil him, so he does not see us as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’
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Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he seeth not; And he walketh on the vault of heaven.
15 Will you keep to the old path that the wicked have trod?
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Wilt thou keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden?
16 They were carried off before their time, their foundations washed away by a flood.
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Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
17 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?’
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Who said unto God, Depart from us; And, What can the Almighty do for us?
18 Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things, so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.
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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 their ruin and rejoice; the innocent mock them, saying,
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The righteous see it, and are glad; And the innocent laugh them to scorn,
20 ‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire devours their wealth.’
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[Saying], Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, And the remnant of them the fire hath consumed.
21 “Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.
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Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thereby good shall come unto thee.
22 Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart.
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Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored: If you remove wickedness far from your tent
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If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, If thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents.
24 and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines,
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And lay thou [thy] treasure in the dust, And [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the brooks;
25 then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you.
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And the Almighty will be thy treasure, And precious silver unto thee.
26 Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God.
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For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.
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Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee; And thou shalt pay thy vows.
28 What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways.
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Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; And light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When people are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then he will save the downcast.
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When they cast [thee] down, thou shalt say, [There is] lifting up; And the humble person he will save.
30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
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He will deliver [even] him that is not innocent: Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.