| King James Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, | 1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered: |
| 2Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto 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, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect? | 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? |
| 4Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment? | 4Is it because of your piety that he rebukes you and goes to judgment with you? |
| 5Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite? | 5Is not your wickedness great and is there no end to your iniquity? |
| 6For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, 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. |
| 7Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. | 7You gave the weary no water to drink and from the hungry you withheld food. |
| 8But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it. | 8Although you were a powerful man, owning land, an honored man living 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 arms of the orphans you crushed. |
| 10Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee; | 10That is why snares surround you, and why sudden fear terrifies you, |
| 11Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee. | 11why it is so dark you cannot see, and why 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! | 12"Is not God on high in heaven? And see the lofty stars, how high they are! |
| 13And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud? | 13But you have said, 'What does God know? Does he judge through such deep darkness? |
| 14Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit 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.' |
| 15Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? | 15Will you keep to the old path that evil men have walked-- |
| 16Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood: | 16men who were carried off before their time, when the flood was poured out on their foundations? |
| 17Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them? | 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: and the innocent laugh them to scorn. | 19The righteous see their destruction and rejoice; the innocent mock them scornfully, saying, |
| 20Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth. | 20Surely our enemies are destroyed, and fire consumes their wealth.' |
| 21Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. | 21"Reconcile yourself with God, and be at peace with him; in this way your prosperity will be good. |
| 22Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. | 22Accept instruction from his mouth and store 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 built up; if you remove wicked behavior far from your tent, |
| 24Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. | 24and throw your gold in the dust--your gold of Ophir among the rocks in the ravines-- |
| 25Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. | 25then the Almighty himself will be your gold, and the choicest 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 yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face toward 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 to him. |
| 28Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. | 28Whatever you decide on a matter, it will be established for you, 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 people are brought low and you say 'Lift them up!' then he will save the downcast; |
| 30He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands. | 30he will deliver even someone who is not innocent, who will escape through the cleanness of your hands." |
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