Add parallel Print Page Options

22 Then Eliphaz of Teman answered and said,

Can a gever be profitable unto El, as he that has seichel may be profitable unto himself?

Is it any pleasure to Shaddai, that thou art tzaddik? Or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways blameless?

Is it for thy yireh [Elohim] that He reproves thee? Will He enter with thee into mishpat?

Is not thy rah great? And thine avonot infinite?

For thou hast exacted a pledge from thy brother for naught, and stripped the arummim (naked ones) of their clothing.

Thou hast not given mayim to the weary to drink, and thou hast withheld lechem from the hungry.

But as for the ish zeroa (mighty man), his is ha’aretz; and the honorable man dwelt therein.

Thou hast sent almanot away empty, and the arms of the yetomim have been broken.

10 Therefore pachim (snares) are around thee, and sudden pachad troubleth thee;

11 Or choshech, that thou canst not see; and overflow of mayim cover thee.

12 Is not Eloah in the height of Shomayim? And hinei the rosh kokhavim, how high they are!

13 And thou sayest, How doth El know? Can He judge through the thick cloud?

14 Thick clouds veil Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the vault of Shomayim.

15 Wilt thou note the orach olam which wicked men have trodden?

16 Who were cut down before their time, whose yesod was overflown with a flood;

17 Who said unto El, Depart from us; and what can Shaddai do to them?

18 Yet He filled their batim (houses) with tov; but the etza (counsel) of the resha’im is far from me.

19 The tzaddikim see it, and are glad, and the naki (innocent) laugh them to scorn.

20 Verily our foe is destroyed, and the abundance of them the eish consumeth.

21 Acquaint now thyself with Him, and so hast thou shalom; thereby tovah shall come unto thee.

22 Receive, now, torah from His mouth, and lay up His words in thine lev.

23 If thou return to Shaddai, thou shalt be restored; if thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy ohalim;

24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as aphar, and that of Ophir as the tzur of the brooks.

25 Yea, Shaddai shall be thy gold, and thy precious kesef.

26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in Shaddai, and shalt lift up thy face unto Eloah.

27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He shall hear thee, and thou shalt fulfill thy nederim.

28 Thou shalt also decide a matter, and it shall be established unto thee, and the ohr shall shine upon thy ways.

29 When they are cast down, thou shalt say, Arise, and He shall save the one with low eynayim (i.e., humility).

30 He shall deliver even the guilty; and he is delivered by the bar (cleanness) of thine hands.

Eliphaz

22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite(A) replied:

“Can a man be of benefit to God?(B)
    Can even a wise person benefit him?(C)
What pleasure(D) would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?(E)
    What would he gain if your ways were blameless?(F)

“Is it for your piety that he rebukes you
    and brings charges against you?(G)
Is not your wickedness great?
    Are not your sins(H) endless?(I)
You demanded security(J) from your relatives for no reason;(K)
    you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.(L)
You gave no water(M) to the weary
    and you withheld food from the hungry,(N)
though you were a powerful man, owning land(O)
    an honored man,(P) living on it.(Q)
And you sent widows(R) away empty-handed(S)
    and broke the strength of the fatherless.(T)
10 That is why snares(U) are all around you,(V)
    why sudden peril terrifies you,(W)
11 why it is so dark(X) you cannot see,
    and why a flood of water covers you.(Y)

12 “Is not God in the heights of heaven?(Z)
    And see how lofty are the highest stars!
13 Yet you say, ‘What does God know?(AA)
    Does he judge through such darkness?(AB)
14 Thick clouds(AC) veil him, so he does not see us(AD)
    as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’(AE)
15 Will you keep to the old path
    that the wicked(AF) have trod?(AG)
16 They were carried off before their time,(AH)
    their foundations(AI) washed away by a flood.(AJ)
17 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
    What can the Almighty do to us?’(AK)
18 Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,(AL)
    so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.(AM)
19 The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;(AN)
    the innocent mock(AO) them, saying,
20 ‘Surely our foes are destroyed,(AP)
    and fire(AQ) devours their wealth.’

21 “Submit to God and be at peace(AR) with him;(AS)
    in this way prosperity will come to you.(AT)
22 Accept instruction from his mouth(AU)
    and lay up his words(AV) in your heart.(AW)
23 If you return(AX) to the Almighty, you will be restored:(AY)
    If you remove wickedness far from your tent(AZ)
24 and assign your nuggets(BA) to the dust,
    your gold(BB) of Ophir(BC) to the rocks in the ravines,(BD)
25 then the Almighty will be your gold,(BE)
    the choicest silver for you.(BF)
26 Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty(BG)
    and will lift up your face(BH) to God.(BI)
27 You will pray to him,(BJ) and he will hear you,(BK)
    and you will fulfill your vows.(BL)
28 What you decide on will be done,(BM)
    and light(BN) will shine on your ways.(BO)
29 When people are brought low(BP) and you say, ‘Lift them up!’
    then he will save the downcast.(BQ)
30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent,(BR)
    who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”(BS)