New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

1Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

2“Can a person do anything to help God? Can even a wise person be helpful to him?

2"Can a vigorous man be of use to God, Or a wise man be useful to himself?

3Is it any advantage to the Almighty if you are righteous? Would it be any gain to him if you were perfect?

3"Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, Or profit if you make your ways perfect?

4Is it because you’re so pious that he accuses you and brings judgment against you?

4"Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you, That He enters into judgment against you?

5No, it’s because of your wickedness! There’s no limit to your sins.

5"Is not your wickedness great, And your iniquities without end?

6“For example, you must have lent money to your friend and demanded clothing as security. Yes, you stripped him to the bone.

6"For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And stripped men naked.

7You must have refused water for the thirsty and food for the hungry.

7"To the weary you have given no water to drink, And from the hungry you have withheld bread.

8You probably think the land belongs to the powerful and only the privileged have a right to it!

8"But the earth belongs to the mighty man, And the honorable man dwells in it.

9You must have sent widows away empty-handed and crushed the hopes of orphans.

9"You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the orphans has been crushed.

10That is why you are surrounded by traps and tremble from sudden fears.

10"Therefore snares surround you, And sudden dread terrifies you,

11That is why you cannot see in the darkness, and waves of water cover you.

11Or darkness, so that you cannot see, And an abundance of water covers you.

12“God is so great—higher than the heavens, higher than the farthest stars.

12"Is not God in the height of heaven? Look also at the distant stars, how high they are!

13But you reply, ‘That’s why God can’t see what I am doing! How can he judge through the thick darkness?

13"You say, 'What does God know? Can He judge through the thick darkness?

14For thick clouds swirl about him, and he cannot see us. He is way up there, walking on the vault of heaven.’

14'Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see; And He walks on the vault of heaven.'

15“Will you continue on the old paths where evil people have walked?

15"Will you keep to the ancient path Which wicked men have trod,

16They were snatched away in the prime of life, the foundations of their lives washed away.

16Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundations were washed away by a river?

17For they 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 he was the one who filled their homes with good things, so I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.

18"Yet He filled their houses with good things; But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19“The righteous will be happy to see the wicked destroyed, and the innocent will laugh in contempt.

19"The righteous see and are glad, And the innocent mock them,

20They will say, ‘See how our enemies have been destroyed. The last of them have been consumed in the fire.’

20Saying, 'Truly our adversaries are cut off, And their abundance the fire has consumed.'

21“Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you.

21"Yield now and be at peace with Him; Thereby good will come to you.

22Listen to his instructions, and store them 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— so clean up your life.

23"If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent,

24If you give up your lust for money and throw your precious gold into the river,

24And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,

25the Almighty himself will be your treasure. He will be your precious silver!

25Then the Almighty will be your gold And choice silver to you.

26“Then you will take delight in the Almighty and look up 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 to him.

27"You will pray to Him, and He will hear you; And you will pay your vows.

28You will succeed in whatever you choose to do, and light will shine on the road ahead of you.

28"You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your ways.

29If people are in trouble and you say, ‘Help them,’ God will save them.

29"When you are cast down, you will speak with confidence, And the humble person He will save.

30Even sinners will be rescued; they will be rescued because your hands are pure.”

30"He will deliver one who is not innocent, And he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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