Third Millennium Bible TMB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
1 Then Eliphaz from Teman replied [to Job],
2 "Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
2 "Can a human be of any use to God when even a wise person is only useful to himself?
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to Him that thou makest thy ways perfect?
3 Is the Almighty pleased when you are righteous? Does he gain anything when you follow the path of integrity?
4 Will He reprove thee for fear of thee? Will He enter with thee into judgment?
4 Does God correct you and bring you into a court of law because you fear him?
5 Is not thy wickedness great, and thine iniquities infinite?
5 "Aren't you really very wicked? Is there no end to your wrongdoing?
6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
6 For no reason you take your brothers' goods as security for a loan and strip them of their clothes.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withheld bread from the hungry.
7 You don't even give a tired person a drink of water, and you take food away from hungry people.
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth, and the honorable man dwelt in it.
8 A strong person owns the land. A privileged person lives in it.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
9 You send widows away empty-handed, and the arms of orphans are broken.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee,
10 That is why traps are all around you and great fear suddenly grips you.
11 or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.
11 [That is why] darkness surrounds you and you cannot see and 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!
12 "Isn't God high above in the heavens? Look how high the highest stars are!
13 And thou sayest, `How doth God know? Can He judge through the dark cloud?
13 You ask, 'What does God know? Can he judge [anything] from behind a dark cloud?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the circuit of heaven.'
14 Thick clouds surround him so that he cannot see. He walks above the clouds.'
15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden,
15 "Are you following the old path that wicked people have taken?
16 who were cut down before their time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood,
16 They are snatched up before their time. A river washes their foundation away.
17 who said unto God, `Depart from us. And what can the Almighty do to them?'
17 They told God, 'Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do for us?'
18 Yet He filled their houses with good things; but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
18 Yet, he filled their homes with good things. (The plan of the wicked is foreign to my way of thinking.)
19 The righteous see it and are glad, and the innocent laugh them to scorn;
19 The righteous saw it and were glad, and the innocent made fun of them by saying,
20 whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.
20 'Indeed, their wealth has been wiped out, and a fire has burned up what [little] they had left.'
21 "Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace; thereby good shall come unto thee.
21 "Be in harmony and at peace with God. In this way you will have prosperity.
22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from His mouth, and lay up His words in thine heart.
22 Accept instruction from his mouth, and keep 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.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will prosper. If you put wrongdoing out of your tent,
24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
24 and lay your gold down in the dust, and put your gold from Ophir among the pebbles in the rivers,
25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy gold, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
25 then the Almighty will become your gold and your large supply of silver.
26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
26 Then you will be happy with the Almighty and look up toward God.
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.
27 You will pray to him, and he will listen to you, and you will keep your vow to him.
28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
28 When you promise to do something, you will succeed, and light will shine on your path.
29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, `There is lifting up!' And He shall save the humble person.
29 When others are discouraged, you will say, 'Cheer up!' Then he will save the humble person.
30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent; and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands."
30 He will rescue one who is not innocent. That person will be rescued by your purity."
Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.