1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
The Geneva Bible: A Cornerstone of English Protestantism A Testament to Reform The 1599 Geneva Bible... Read More
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
2 “Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit?
Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable?[b]
3 Is it of any special benefit[c] to the Almighty
that you should be righteous,
or is it any gain to him
that you make your ways blameless?[d]
4 Is it because of your piety[e] that he rebukes you
and goes to judgment with you?[f]
5 Is not your wickedness great[g]
and is there no end to your iniquity?
6 “For you took pledges[h] from your brothers
for no reason,
and you stripped the clothing from the naked.[i]
7 You gave the weary[j] no water to drink
and from the hungry you withheld food.
8 Although you were a powerful man,[k] owning land,[l]
an honored man[m] living on it,[n]
9 you sent widows away empty-handed,
and the arms[o] of the orphans you crushed.[p]
10 That is why snares surround you,
and why sudden fear terrifies you,
11 why it is so dark you cannot see,[q]
and why a flood[r] of water covers you.
12 “Is not God on high in heaven?[s]
And see[t] the lofty stars,[u] how high they are!
13 But you have said, ‘What does God know?
Does he judge through such deep darkness?[v]
14 Thick clouds are a veil for him, so he does not see us,[w]
as he goes back and forth
in the vault[x] of heaven.’[y]
15 Will you keep to the old path[z]
that evil men have walked—
16 men[aa] who were carried off[ab] before their time,[ac]
when the flood[ad] was poured out[ae]
on their foundations?[af]
17 They were saying to God, ‘Turn away from us,’
and, ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’[ag]
18 But it was he[ah] who filled their houses
with good things—
yet the counsel of the wicked[ai]
was far from me.[aj]
19 The righteous see their destruction[ak] and rejoice;
the innocent mock them scornfully,[al] saying,
20 ‘Surely our enemies[am] are destroyed,
and fire consumes their wealth.’
21 “Reconcile yourself[an] with God,[ao]
and be at peace[ap] with him;
in this way your prosperity will be good.
22 Accept instruction[aq] from his mouth
and store up his words[ar] in your heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up;[as]
if you remove wicked behavior far from your tent,
24 and throw[at] your gold[au] in the dust—
your gold[av] of Ophir
among the rocks in the ravines—
25 then the Almighty himself will be your gold,[aw]
and the choicest[ax] silver for you.
26 Surely then you will delight yourself[ay] in the Almighty,
and will lift up your face toward God.
27 You will pray to him and he will hear you,
and you will fulfill your vows to him.[az]
28 Whatever you decide on[ba] a matter,
it will be established for you,
and light will shine on your ways.
29 When people are brought low[bb] and you say,
‘Lift them up!’[bc]
then he will save the downcast;[bd]
30 he will deliver even someone who is not innocent,[be]
who will escape[bf] through the cleanness of your hands.”