| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: | 1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered: |
| 2“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself. | 2"Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit? Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable? |
| 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 of any special benefit to the Almighty that you should be righteous, or is it any gain to him that you make your ways blameless? |
| 4Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you and enters into judgment with you? | 4Is it because of your piety that he rebukes you and goes to judgment with you? |
| 5Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities. | 5Is not your wickedness great and is there no end to your iniquity? |
| 6For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing and stripped the naked of their clothing. | 6"For you took pledges from your brothers for no reason, and you stripped the clothing from the naked. |
| 7You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry. | 7You gave the weary no water to drink and from the hungry you withheld food. |
| 8The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man lived in it. | 8Although you were a powerful man, owning land, an honored man living on it, |
| 9You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed. | 9you sent widows away empty-handed, and the arms of the orphans you crushed. |
| 10Therefore snares are all around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you, | 10That is why snares surround you, and why sudden fear terrifies you, |
| 11or darkness, so that you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you. | 11why it is so dark you cannot see, and why a flood of water covers you. |
| 12“Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are! | 12"Is not God on high in heaven? And see the lofty stars, how high they are! |
| 13But you say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness? | 13But you have said, 'What does God know? Does he judge through such deep darkness? |
| 14Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.’ | 14Thick clouds are a veil for him, so he does not see us, as he goes back and forth in the vault of heaven.' |
| 15Will you keep to the old way that wicked men have trod? | 15Will you keep to the old path that evil men have walked-- |
| 16They were snatched away before their time; their foundation was washed away. | 16men who were carried off before their time, when the flood was poured out on their foundations? |
| 17They said to God, ‘Depart from us,’ and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’ | 17They were saying to God, 'Turn away from us,' and 'What can the Almighty do to us?' |
| 18Yet he filled their houses with good things— but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. | 18But it was he who filled their houses with good things--yet the counsel of the wicked was far from me. |
| 19The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent one mocks at them, | 19The righteous see their destruction and rejoice; the innocent mock them scornfully, saying, |
| 20saying, ‘Surely our adversaries are cut off, and what they left the fire has consumed.’ | 20Surely our enemies are destroyed, and fire consumes their wealth.' |
| 21“Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. | 21"Reconcile yourself with God, and be at peace with him; in this way your prosperity will be good. |
| 22Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. | 22Accept instruction from his mouth and store up his words in your heart. |
| 23If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you remove injustice far from your tents, | 23If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; if you remove wicked behavior far from your tent, |
| 24if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed, | 24and throw your gold in the dust--your gold of Ophir among the rocks in the ravines-- |
| 25then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver. | 25then the Almighty himself will be your gold, and the choicest silver for you. |
| 26For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. | 26Surely then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face toward God. |
| 27You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows. | 27You will pray to him and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows to him. |
| 28You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways. | 28Whatever you decide on a matter, it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways. |
| 29For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’; but he saves the lowly. | 29When people are brought low and you say 'Lift them up!' then he will save the downcast; |
| 30He delivers even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.” | 30he will deliver even someone who is not innocent, who will escape through the cleanness of your hands." |
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