| King James Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, | 1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: |
| 2Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? | 2“Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him? |
| 3Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect? | 3Does it delight the Almighty that you are righteous? Does He profit if your ways are blameless? |
| 4Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment? | 4Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you and enters into judgment against you? |
| 5Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite? | 5Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless? |
| 6For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing. | 6For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing. |
| 7Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. | 7You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished, |
| 8But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it. | 8while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it. |
| 9Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken. | 9You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed. |
| 10Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee; | 10Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you; |
| 11Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee. | 11it is so dark you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you. |
| 12Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are! | 12Is not God as high as the heavens? Look at the highest stars, how lofty they are! |
| 13And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud? | 13Yet you say: ‘What does God know? Does He judge through thick darkness? |
| 14Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven. | 14Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see us as He traverses the vault of heaven.’ |
| 15Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? | 15Will you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod? |
| 16Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood: | 16They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood. |
| 17Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them? | 17They said to God, ‘Depart from us. 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; so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked. |
| 19The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn. | 19The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock them: |
| 20Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth. | 20‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire has consumed their excess.’ |
| 21Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. | 21Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you. |
| 22Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. | 22Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart. |
| 23If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. | 23If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice from your tents |
| 24Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. | 24and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines, |
| 25Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. | 25then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you. |
| 26For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. | 26Surely then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. |
| 27Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. | 27You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows. |
| 28Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. | 28Your decisions will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways. |
| 29When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. | 29When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the lowly. |
| 30He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands. | 30He will deliver even one who is not innocent, rescuing him through the cleanness of your hands.” |
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