Eliphaz: Can a Man Be of Use to God? 1 RV Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, BSB BSB: Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 RV Can a man be profitable unto God? surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself. BSB BSB: “Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him?
3 RV Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him , that thou makest thy ways perfect? BSB BSB: Does it delight the Almighty that you are righteous? Does He profit if your ways are blameless?
4 RV Is it for thy fear of him that he reproveth thee, that he entereth with thee into judgment? BSB BSB: Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you and enters into judgment against you?
5 RV Is not thy wickedness great? neither is there any end to thine iniquities. BSB BSB: Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless?
6 RV For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing. BSB BSB: For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing.
7 RV Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. BSB BSB: You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished,
8 RV But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man, he dwelt in it. BSB BSB: while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it.
9 RV Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken. BSB BSB: You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.
10 RV Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee, BSB BSB: Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you;
11 RV Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee. BSB BSB: it is so dark you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.
12 RV Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are! BSB BSB: Is not God as high as the heavens? Look at the highest stars, how lofty they are!
13 RV And thou sayest, What doth God know? can he judge through the thick darkness? BSB BSB: Yet you say: ‘What does God know? Does He judge through thick darkness?
14 RV Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven. BSB BSB: Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see us as He traverses the vault of heaven.’
15 RV Wilt thou keep the old way which wicked men have trodden? BSB BSB: Will you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod?
16 RV Who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream: BSB BSB: They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood.
17 RV Who said unto God, Depart from us; and, What can the Almighty do for us? BSB BSB: They said to God, ‘Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us?’
18 RV Yet he fired their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. BSB BSB: But it was He who filled their houses with good things; so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.
19 RV The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn: BSB BSB: The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock them:
20 RV Saying , Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, and the remnant of them the fire hath consumed.BSB BSB: ‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire has consumed their excess.’
21 RV Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. BSB BSB: Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.
22 RV Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. BSB BSB: Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.
23 RV If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; if thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents. BSB BSB: If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice from your tents
24 RV And lay thou thy treasure in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks; BSB BSB: and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines,
25 RV And the Almighty shall be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee. BSB BSB: then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you.
26 RV For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. BSB BSB: Surely then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.
27 RV Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee; and thou shalt pay thy vows. BSB BSB: You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.
28 RV Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways. BSB BSB: Your decisions will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways.
29 RV When they cast thee down, thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and the humble person he shall save. BSB BSB: When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the lowly.
30 RV He shall deliver even him that is not innocent: yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thine hands. BSB BSB: He will deliver even one who is not innocent, rescuing him through the cleanness of your hands.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.