Then Eliphaz the Temanite
answered
and said
,
Can a man be profitable
unto God
, as
he that is wise
may be profitable
unto himself?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty
, that thou art righteous
? or is it gain
to him , that thou makest thy ways
perfect
?
Will he reprove thee for fear
of thee? will he enter
with thee into judgment
?
Is not thy wickedness great
? and thine iniquities
infinite
?
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother
for nought
, and stripped
the naked
of their clothing
.
Thou hast not given water to the weary
to drink
, and thou hast withholden
bread
from the hungry
.
But as for the mighty man
, he had the earth
; and the honourable man
dwelt
in it.
Thou hast sent widows
away empty
, and the arms
of the fatherless
have been broken
.
Therefore snares are round about
thee, and sudden
fear
troubleth
thee;
Or darkness, that thou canst not see
; and abundance
of waters
cover
thee.
Is not God in the height
of heaven
? and behold
the height
of the stars
, how high
they are!
And thou sayest, How doth God
know
? can he judge
through the dark cloud
?
Thick clouds are a covering
to him, that he seeth
not; and he walketh
in the circuit
of heaven
.
Hast thou marked the old
way
which wicked
men
have trodden
?
Which were cut down out of time
, whose foundation
was overflown
with a flood
:
Which said unto God
, Depart
from us: and what can the Almighty
do
for them?
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
: and the innocent
laugh them to scorn
.
Whereas our substance
is not cut down
, but the remnant
of them the fire
consumeth
.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace
: thereby good
shall come
unto thee.
Receive, I pray thee, the law
from his mouth
, and lay up
his words
in thine heart
.
If thou return to the Almighty
, thou shalt be built up
, thou shalt put away
iniquity
far
from thy tabernacles
.
Then shalt thou lay up gold
as
dust
, and the gold of Ophir
as the stones
of the brooks
.
Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence
, and thou shalt have plenty
of silver
.
For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty
, and shalt lift up
thy face
unto God
.
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear
thee, and thou shalt pay
thy vows
.
Thou shalt also decree a thing
, and it shall be established
unto thee: and the light
shall shine
upon thy ways
.
When men are cast down, then thou shalt say
, There is lifting up
; and he shall save
the humble
person
.
He shall deliver the island
of the innocent
: and it is delivered
by the pureness
of thine hands
.