| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 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 benefit to God? Can even a wise person 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? | 3What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous? What would he gain if your ways were blameless? |
| 4Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment? | 4"Is it for your piety that he rebukes you and brings charges against you? |
| 5Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite? | 5Is not your wickedness great? Are not your sins endless? |
| 6For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing. | 6You demanded security from your relatives for no reason; you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked. |
| 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 you withheld food from the hungry, |
| 8But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it. | 8though 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. | 9And you sent widows away empty-handed and broke the strength of the fatherless. |
| 10Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee; | 10That is why snares are all around you, why sudden peril 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 in the heights of heaven? And see how lofty are the highest stars! |
| 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 such 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 goes about in the vaulted heavens.' |
| 15Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? | 15Will you keep to the old path that the wicked have trod? |
| 16Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood: | 16They were carried off before their time, their foundations washed away by a flood. |
| 17Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them? | 17They said to God, 'Leave us alone! 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. | 18Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things, so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked. |
| 19The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn. | 19The righteous see their ruin and rejoice; the innocent mock them, saying, |
| 20Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth. | 20Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire devours their wealth.' |
| 21Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. | 21"Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. |
| 22Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. | 22Accept 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 wickedness far from your tent |
| 24Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. | 24and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines, |
| 25Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. | 25then the Almighty will be your gold, 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 find delight in the Almighty and will 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. | 28What you decide on will be done, 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 one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands." |
|
