International Standard Version | King James Bible |
1Then in response, Eliphaz from Teman said: | 1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, |
2"Can a human being be useful to God, since he, who is wise, is sufficient to himself? | 2Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? |
3Will it please the Almighty if you are innocent, or does he profit if your life is blameless? | 3Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect? |
4Will he acquit you just because you fear him, and render a verdict on your behalf? | 4Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment? |
5Your wickedness is great, isn't it? There's no limit to your iniquity, is there? | 5Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite? |
6"After all, you've taken collateral from your relatives for no reason; you stripped the naked of their clothing. | 6For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing. |
7You've neglected to give water to the weary, and you've withheld food from the hungry. | 7Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. |
8The land belongs to the powerful, and the privileged thrive in it. | 8But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it. |
9You sent away widows empty-handed, and broke the outstretched arms of orphans. | 9Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken. |
10That's why disaster surrounds you, terror suddenly overwhelms you, | 10Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee; |
11you see nothing but darkness, and a flood of troubles drowns you." | 11Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee. |
12"Isn't God in heaven above? Consider how far away the stars are, and how lofty they are! | 12Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are! |
13You've asked, 'What does God know? Can he sort through pitch black darkness?' | 13And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud? |
14Thick clouds cover him so he can't see as he walks back and forth at heaven's horizon. | 14Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven. |
15"Will you keep walking on the traditional path that sinners have tread, | 15Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? |
16who were snatched away before their time; when their foundation was swept away by a river? | 16Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood: |
17They told God, 'Get away from us!' and 'What will the Almighty do to them?' | 17Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them? |
18"Though God fills their houses with good things, the counsel of the wicked will remain far from me. | 18Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. |
19The righteous will see this and rejoice; the innocent will insult him, saying, | 19The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn. |
20Our enemies are sure to be destroyed, and fire will burn up what's left of their riches." | 20Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth. |
21"Get to know God, and you'll be at peace with him, and then prosperity will come to you. | 21Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. |
22Accept what he has to teach you, and treasure his words in your heart. | 22Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. |
23"If you return to the Almighty you'll be restored, as you remove iniquity from your household. | 23If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. |
24Bury your gold nuggets in the dust, and your source of gold among the stones in a streambed, | 24Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. |
25and then the Almighty will be your gold and your refined silver. | 25Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. |
26"Then you'll take delight in the Almighty; and will turn your face toward God. | 26For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. |
27You'll entreat him and he'll listen to you as you fulfill your vows. | 27Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. |
28When you make a decision on something, it will be established for you, and light will brighten your way. | 28Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. |
29"For when they're humbled, you may respond; 'It's their pride!' but he delivers the humble. | 29When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. |
30He'll even deliver the guilty, who will be delivered through your innocence." | 30He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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