Eliphaz’s Third Speech

1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:

2“Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit?

Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable?

3Is it of any special benefit to the Almighty

that you should be righteous,

or is it any gain to him

that you make your ways blameless?

4Is it because of your piety that he rebukes you

and goes to judgment with you?

5Is not your wickedness great

and is there no end to your iniquity?

6“For you took pledges from your brothers

for no reason,

and you stripped the clothing from the naked.

7You gave the weary no water to drink

and from the hungry you withheld food.

8Although you were a powerful man, owning land,

an honored man living on it,

9you sent widows away empty-handed,

and the arms of the orphans you crushed.

10That is why snares surround you,

and why sudden fear terrifies you,

11why it is so dark you cannot see,

and why a flood of water covers you.

12“Is not God on high in heaven?

And see the lofty stars, how high they are!

13But you have said, ‘What does God know?

Does he judge through such deep darkness?

14Thick clouds are a veil for him, so he does not see us,

as he goes back and forth

in the vault of heaven.’

15Will you keep to the old path

that evil men have walked –

16men who were carried off before their time,

when the flood was poured out

on their foundations?

17They were saying to God, ‘Turn away from us,’

and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’

18But it was he who filled their houses

with good things –

yet the counsel of the wicked

was far from me.

19The righteous see their destruction and rejoice;

the innocent mock them scornfully, saying,

20‘Surely our enemies are destroyed,

and fire consumes their wealth.’

21“Reconcile yourself with God,

and be at peace with him;

in this way your prosperity will be good.

22Accept instruction from his mouth

and store up his words in your heart.

23If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up;

if you remove wicked behavior far from your tent,

24and throw your gold in the dust –

your gold of Ophir

among the rocks in the ravines –

25then the Almighty himself will be your gold,

and the choicest silver for you.

26Surely then you will delight yourself in the Almighty,

and will lift up your face toward God.

27You will pray to him and he will hear you,

and you will fulfill your vows to him.

28Whatever you decide on a matter,

it will be established for you,

and light will shine on your ways.

29When people are brought low and you say

‘Lift them up!’

then he will save the downcast;

30he will deliver even someone who is not innocent,

who will escape through the cleanness of your hands.”