| New International Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: | 1Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded, |
| 2"Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise person benefit him? | 2"Can a vigorous man be of use to God, Or a wise man be useful to himself? |
| 3What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous? What would he gain if your ways were blameless? | 3"Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, Or profit if you make your ways perfect? |
| 4"Is it for your piety that he rebukes you and brings charges against you? | 4"Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you, That He enters into judgment against you? |
| 5Is not your wickedness great? Are not your sins endless? | 5"Is not your wickedness great, And your iniquities without end? |
| 6You demanded security from your relatives for no reason; you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked. | 6"For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And stripped men naked. |
| 7You gave no water to the weary and you withheld food from the hungry, | 7"To the weary you have given no water to drink, And from the hungry you have withheld bread. |
| 8though you were a powerful man, owning land-- an honored man, living on it. | 8"But the earth belongs to the mighty man, And the honorable man dwells in it. |
| 9And you sent widows away empty-handed and broke the strength of the fatherless. | 9"You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the orphans has been crushed. |
| 10That is why snares are all around you, why sudden peril terrifies you, | 10"Therefore snares surround you, And sudden dread terrifies you, |
| 11why it is so dark you cannot see, and why a flood of water covers you. | 11Or darkness, so that you cannot see, And an abundance of water covers you. |
| 12"Is not God in the heights of heaven? And see how lofty are the highest stars! | 12"Is not God in the height of heaven? Look also at the distant stars, how high they are! |
| 13Yet you say, 'What does God know? Does he judge through such darkness? | 13"You say, 'What does God know? Can He judge through the thick darkness? |
| 14Thick clouds veil him, so he does not see us as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.' | 14'Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see; And He walks on the vault of heaven.' |
| 15Will you keep to the old path that the wicked have trod? | 15"Will you keep to the ancient path Which wicked men have trod, |
| 16They were carried off before their time, their foundations washed away by a flood. | 16Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundations were washed away by a river? |
| 17They said to God, 'Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?' | 17"They said to God, 'Depart from us!' And 'What can the Almighty do to them?' |
| 18Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things, so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked. | 18"Yet He filled their houses with good things; But the counsel of the wicked is far from me. |
| 19The righteous see their ruin and rejoice; the innocent mock them, saying, | 19"The righteous see and are glad, And the innocent mock them, |
| 20Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire devours their wealth.' | 20Saying, 'Truly our adversaries are cut off, And their abundance the fire has consumed.' |
| 21"Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. | 21"Yield now and be at peace with Him; Thereby good will come to you. |
| 22Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart. | 22"Please receive instruction from His mouth And establish His words in your heart. |
| 23If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored: If you remove wickedness far from your tent | 23"If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent, |
| 24and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines, | 24And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks, |
| 25then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you. | 25Then the Almighty will be your gold And choice silver to you. |
| 26Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God. | 26"For then you will delight in the Almighty And lift up your face to God. |
| 27You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows. | 27"You will pray to Him, and He will hear you; And you will pay your vows. |
| 28What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways. | 28"You will also decree a thing, and 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. | 29"When you are cast down, you will speak with confidence, And the humble person He will save. |
| 30He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands." | 30"He will deliver one who is not innocent, And he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands." |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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