Eliphaz: Can a Man Be of Use to God? 1 WBS Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, BSB BSB: Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 WBS Can a man be profitable to God, as he that is wise may be profitable to himself? BSB BSB: “Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him?
3 WBS 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 WBS Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment? BSB BSB: Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you and enters into judgment against you?
5 WBS Is not thy wickedness great? and thy iniquities infinite?BSB BSB: Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless?
6 WBS For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for naught, 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 WBS Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withheld bread from the hungry. BSB BSB: You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished,
8 WBS But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honorable man dwelt in it. BSB BSB: while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it.
9 WBS 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 WBS Therefore snares are around thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee; BSB BSB: Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you;
11 WBS 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 WBS Is not God in the hight of heaven? and behold the hight 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 WBS And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud? BSB BSB: Yet you say: ‘What does God know? Does He judge through thick darkness?
14 WBS 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 WBS Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? BSB BSB: Will you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod?
16 WBS Who were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood! BSB BSB: They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood.
17 WBS Who said to God, depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them! BSB BSB: They said to God, ‘Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us?’
18 WBS Yet he filled 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 WBS The righteous see it , and are glad: and the innocent deride them. BSB BSB: The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock them:
20 WBS Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth. BSB BSB: ‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire has consumed their excess.’
21 WBS Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: by this good shall come to thee. BSB BSB: Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.
22 WBS Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart. BSB BSB: Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.
23 WBS If thou shalt return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. BSB BSB: If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice from your tents
24 WBS Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as 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 WBS Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense and thou shalt have plenty of silver. BSB BSB: then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you.
26 WBS For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face to God. BSB BSB: Surely then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.
27 WBS Thou shalt make thy prayer to 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 WBS Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established to thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. BSB BSB: Your decisions will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways.
29 WBS When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is exaltation; and he shall save the humble person. BSB BSB: When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the lowly.
30 WBS He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thy 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.