1. |
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, |
2. |
Can a man be profitable unto God? Surely he that is wise is profitable unto 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? |
4. |
Is it for thy fear `of him' that he reproveth thee, That he entereth with thee into judgment? |
5. |
Is not thy wickedness great? Neither is there any end to thine iniquities. |
6. |
For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, And stripped the naked of their clothing. |
7. |
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. |
8. |
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; And the honorable man, he dwelt in it. |
9. |
Thou hast sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken. |
10. |
Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear troubleth thee, |
11. |
Or darkness, so that thou canst not see, And abundance of waters cover thee. |
12. |
Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are! |
13. |
And thou sayest, What doth God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness? |
14. |
Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he seeth not; And he walketh on the vault of heaven. |
15. |
Wilt thou keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden? |
16. |
Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundation was poured out as a stream, |
17. |
Who said unto God, Depart from us; And, 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. |
19. |
The righteous see it, and are glad; And the innocent laugh them to scorn, |
20. |
`Saying', Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, And the remnant of them the fire hath consumed. |
21. |
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thereby good shall come unto thee. |
22. |
Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart. |
23. |
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, If thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents. |
24. |
And lay thou `thy' treasure in the dust, And `the gold of' Ophir among the stones of the brooks; |
25. |
And the Almighty will be thy treasure, And precious silver unto thee. |
26. |
For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God. |
27. |
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee; And thou shalt pay thy vows. |
28. |
Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; And light shall shine upon thy ways. |
29. |
When they cast `thee' down, thou shalt say, `There is' lifting up; And the humble person he will save. |
30. |
He will deliver `even' him that is not innocent: Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands. |