English Standard Version

King James Bible

1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.

2Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?

3Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?

3Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

4Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you and enters into judgment with you?

4Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?

5Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities.

5Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

6For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing and 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 have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.

7Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

8The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man lived in it.

8But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.

9You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed.

9Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

10Therefore snares are all around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you,

10Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;

11or darkness, so that you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.

11Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.

12“Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are!

12Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

13But you say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness?

13And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?

14Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.’

14Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.

15Will you keep to the old way that wicked men have trod?

15Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?

16They were snatched away before their time; their foundation was washed away.

16Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:

17They said to God, ‘Depart from us,’ and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’

17Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?

18Yet he filled their houses with good things— but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

18Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent one mocks at them,

19The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.

20saying, ‘Surely our adversaries are cut off, and what they left the fire has consumed.’

20Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.

21“Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you.

21Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

22Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.

22Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

23If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you remove injustice far from your tents,

23If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.

24if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed,

24Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

25then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver.

25Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.

26For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.

26For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

27You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows.

27Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.

28You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.

28Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.

29For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’; but he saves the lowly.

29When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

30He delivers even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”

30He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.