Eliphaz: third speech
Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise person benefit him? What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous? What would he gain if your ways were blameless? Is it for your piety that he rebukes you and brings charges against you? Is not your wickedness great? Are not your sins endless? You demanded security from your relatives for no reason; you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked. You gave no water to the weary and you withheld food from the hungry, though you were a powerful man, owning land — an honoured man, living on it. And you sent widows away empty-handed and broke the strength of the fatherless. That is why snares are all around you, why sudden peril terrifies you, why it is so dark you cannot see, and why a flood of water covers you. Is not God in the heights of heaven? And see how lofty are the highest stars. Yet you say, What does God know? Does he judge through such darkness? Thick clouds veil him, so he does not see us as he goes about in the vault of heaven. Will you keep to the old path that the wicked have trod? They were carried off before their time, their foundations washed away by a flood. They said to God, Leave us alone. What can the Almighty do to us? Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things, so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked. The righteous see their ruin and rejoice; the innocent mock them, saying, Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire devours their wealth. Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored: if you remove wickedness far from your tent and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines, then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you. Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God. You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfil your vows to him. What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways. When people are brought low and you say, Lift them up, then he will save the downcast. He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.
Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Can a man be of benefit to God?
Can even a wise person benefit him?
Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?
What would he gain if your ways were 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 for your piety that he rebukes you
and brings charges against you?
Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
Is not your wickedness great?
Are not your sins endless?
Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
You demanded security from your relatives for no reason;
you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
You gave no water to the weary
and you withheld food from the hungry,
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
though you were a powerful man, owning land —
an honoured man, living on it.
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
And you sent widows away empty-handed
and broke the strength of the fatherless.
Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
That is why snares are all around you,
why sudden peril terrifies you,
Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
why it is so dark you cannot see,
and why a flood of water covers you.
Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.
Is not God in the heights of heaven?
And see how lofty are the highest stars.
Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
Yet you say, What does God know?
Does he judge through such darkness?
And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?
Thick clouds veil him, so he does not see us
as he goes about in the vault of heaven.
Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
Will you keep to the old path
that the wicked have trod?
Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
They were carried off before their time,
their foundations washed away by a flood.
Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:
They said to God, Leave us alone.
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,
so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.
Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;
the innocent mock them, saying,
The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
Surely our foes are destroyed,
and fire devours their wealth.
Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.
Submit to God and be at peace with him;
in this way prosperity will come to you.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
Accept instruction from his mouth
and lay up 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 wickedness 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 nuggets to the dust,
your 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,
the choicest silver for you.
Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty
and will 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 fulfil your vows to him.
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.
What you decide on will be done,
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 brought low and you say, Lift them up,
then he 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 deliver even 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.