| | 1 | Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
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| | 2 | "Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
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| | 3 | Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him, that you make your ways perfect?
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| | 4 | Is it for your piety that he reproves you, That he enters with you into judgment?
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| | 5 | Isn't your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.
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| | 6 | For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, And stripped the naked of their clothing.
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| | 7 | You haven't given water to the weary to drink, And you have withheld bread from the hungry.
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| | 8 | But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived in it.
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| | 9 | You have sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
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| | 10 | Therefore snares are round about you. Sudden fear troubles you,
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| | 11 | Or darkness, so that you can not see, And floods of waters cover you.
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| | 12 | "Isn't God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!
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| | 13 | You say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
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| | 14 | Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn't see. He walks on the vault of the sky.'
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| | 15 | Will you keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden,
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| | 16 | Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
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| | 17 | Who said to God, 'Depart from us;' And, 'What can the Almighty do for us?'
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| | 18 | Yet he filled their houses with good things, But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
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| | 19 | The righteous see it, and are glad; The innocent laugh them to scorn,
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| | 20 | Saying, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off, The fire has consumed the remnant of them.'
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| | 21 | "Acquaint yourself with him, now, and be at peace. Thereby good shall come to you.
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| | 22 | Please receive the law from his mouth, And lay up his words in your heart.
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| | 23 | If you return to the Almighty, you shall be built up, If you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.
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| | 24 | Lay your treasure in the dust, The gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
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| | 25 | The Almighty will be your treasure, Precious silver to you.
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| | 26 | For then shall you delight yourself in the Almighty, And shall lift up your face to God.
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| | 27 | You shall make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You shall pay your vows.
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| | 28 | You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established to you. Light shall shine on your ways.
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| | 29 | When they cast down, you shall say, 'be lifted up.' He will save the humble person.
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| | 30 | He will even deliver him who is not innocent; Yes, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."
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