Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

Can a man benefit God? Even a wise man benefits only himself.

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

Is it a delight to the Almighty if you are righteous? Or does He gain anything if your ways are blameless?

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

Is it because of your reverence that He rebukes you and brings you into judgment?

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

Is not your wickedness great and your iniquities without end?

Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

For you have taken pledges from your brothers without cause, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

You have not given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.

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

But the powerful man owns the land, and the honored man dwells in it.

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

You sent widows away empty-handed, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed.

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

That is why snares are all around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you.

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

It is so dark you cannot see, and a flood of waters covers you.

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

Is not God in the height of heaven? Look at the distant stars; how high they are!

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

But you say, 'What does God know? Can He judge through such thick darkness?'

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

Clouds cover Him so He cannot see as He walks on the circle of the heavens.

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

Will you keep to the ancient path that wicked men have walked?

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

They were snatched away before their time, and their foundation was swept away by a flood.

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

They said to God, 'Depart from us! What can the Almighty do to us?'

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

Yet it was He who filled their houses with good things, though the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

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

The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock them.

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

Surely our enemies are destroyed, and fire has consumed their wealth.

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

Be reconciled with God now, and at peace with Him; this will bring good to you.

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

Accept instruction from His mouth and place His words in your heart.

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

If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice far from your tent,

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

and assign your gold to the dust, and the gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines,

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

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

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

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

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

You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.

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

Whatever you decide will succeed, and light will shine on your ways.

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

When people are humbled and you say, 'Lift them up,' God will save the downcast.

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

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

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