34AND HOW? WILL YOU COMFORT ME VANITY AND ANSWERS YOUR IT REMAINS UNFAITHFULNESS 34So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.”
1AND HE ANSWERED ELIPHAZ THE TEMANITE AND HE SAID Eliphaz: Can a Man Be of Use to God? 1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2¿ TO GOD WILL HE BE OF USE A MAN FOR WILL HE BE OF USE? ON HIM A WISE [PERSON] 2“Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him?
3¿ [DOES] PLEASURE [BELONG] TO [THE] ALMIGHTY THAT YOU ARE RIGHTEOUS AND OR? PROFIT THAT YOU MAKE BLAMELESS WAYS YOUR 3Does it delight the Almighty that you are righteous? Does He profit if your ways are blameless?
4¿ FROM FEAR YOUR DOES HE REPROVE YOU DOES HE GO? WITH YOU IN <THE> JUDGMENT 4Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you and enters into judgment against you?
5¿ NOT [IS] EVIL YOUR GREAT AND NOT? AN END [BELONGS] TO INIQUITIES YOUR 5Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless?
6FOR YOU HAVE HELD IN PLEDGE BROTHERS YOUR WITHOUT CAUSE AND [THE] GARMENTS OF NAKED [PEOPLE] YOU HAVE STRIPPED OFF 6For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing.
7NOT WATER [THE] WEARY YOU HAVE GIVEN TO DRINK AND FROM [THE] HUNGRY YOU HAVE WITHHELD BREAD 7You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished,
8AND A PERSON OF ARM [BELONGS] TO HIM THE LAND AND [ONE] UPLIFTED OF FACE HE DWELLS IN IT 8while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it.
9WIDOWS YOU HAVE SENT AWAY WITH EMPTY HANDS AND [THE] ARMS OF FATHERLESS ONES IT HAS BEEN CRUSHED 9You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.
10THERE- -FORE [ARE] AROUND YOU SNARES AND IT TERRIFIES YOU DREAD SUDDENLY 10Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you;
11OR DARKNESS NOT YOU WILL SEE AND ABUNDANCE OF WATER IT COVERS YOU 11it is so dark you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.
12¿ NOT [IS] GOD [THE] HEIGHT OF HEAVEN AND LOOK AT [THE] TOP OF [THE] STARS THAT THEY ARE HIGH 12Is not God as high as the heavens? Look at the highest stars, how lofty they are!
13AND YOU SAY WHAT? DOES HE KNOW GOD ¿ THROUGH THICK DARKNESS WILL HE JUDGE 13Yet you say: ‘What does God know? Does He judge through thick darkness?
14CLOUDS [ARE] A HIDING PLACE OF HIM AND NOT HE WILL SEE AND [THE] CIRCLE OF HEAVEN HE WALKS ABOUT 14Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see us as He traverses the vault of heaven.*NoteCloseOr heaven’s horizon or the circle of the sky ’
15¿ A PATH OF ANTIQUITY WILL YOU KEEP WHICH THEY HAVE TRODDEN MEN OF WICKEDNESS 15Will you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod?
16WHO THEY WERE SNATCHED AWAY AND NOT AN APPROPRIATE TIME A RIVER IT WAS POURED OUT FOUNDATION THEIR 16They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood.
17WHO WERE SAYING TO <THE> GOD DEPART FROM US AND WHAT? WILL HE DO [THE] ALMIGHTY TO THEM 17They said to God, ‘Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us?’
18AND HE HE FILLED HOUSES THEIR GOOD THING[S] AND [THE] COUNSEL OF WICKED [PEOPLE] IT IS FAR FROM ME 18But it was He who filled their houses with good things; so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.
19THEY SEE [IT] RIGHTEOUS [PEOPLE] SO THEY MAY REJOICE AND [THE] INNOCENT HE MOCKS <TO> THEM 19The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock them:
20IF NOT HE HAS BEEN DESTROYED ADVERSARY OUR AND ABUNDANCE THEIR IT HAS CONSUMED FIRE 20‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire has consumed their excess.’
21BE RECONCILED PLEASE WITH HIM AND BE AT PEACE BY THEM IT WILL COME TO YOU GOOD 21Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.
22ACCEPT PLEASE FROM MOUTH HIS INSTRUCTION AND PUT WORDS HIS IN HEART YOUR 22Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.
23IF YOU WILL RETURN TO [THE] ALMIGHTY YOU WILL BE BUILT UP YOU WILL REMOVE INJUSTICE FROM TENT YOUR 23If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice from your tents
24AND PUT ON [THE] DUST GOLD AND AMONG [THE] ROCK[S] OF WADIS GOLD OF OPHIR 24and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines,
25AND HE WILL BE [THE] ALMIGHTY GOLD<S> YOUR AND SILVER OF HEAPS FOR YOU 25then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you.
26FOR THEN ON [THE] ALMIGHTY YOU WILL TAKE DELIGHT AND YOU MAY LIFT UP TO GOD FACE YOUR 26Surely then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.
27YOU WILL PRAY TO HIM AND HE WILL HEAR YOU AND VOWS YOUR YOU WILL PAY 27You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.
28AND YOU MAY DECIDE A MATTER AND IT MAY BE FULFILLED FOR YOU AND ON WAYS YOUR IT WILL SHINE LIGHT 28Your decisions will be carried out and light will shine on your ways.
29IF PEOPLE BROUGHT LOW AND YOU SAID UP! AND [THE] LOWLY OF EYES HE WILL SAVE 29When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the lowly.
30HE WILL DELIVER NOT AN INNOCENT [PERSON] AND HE WILL BE DELIVERED BY [THE] CLEANNESS OF HANDS YOUR 30He will deliver even one who is not innocent, rescuing him through the cleanness of your hands.”