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¹ Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:² Can a man be profitable unto God? Or can he that is wise be profitable unto Him?³ Is it any advantage to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways blameless?⁴ Is it for thy fear of Him that He reproveth thee, that He entereth with thee into judgment?

⁵ Is not thy wickedness great? And are not thine iniquities without end?⁶ For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.⁷ Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.⁸ And as a mighty man, who hath the earth, and as a man of rank, who dwelleth in it,⁹ Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.¹⁰ Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden dread affrighted thee,¹¹ Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.¹² Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the topmost of the stars, how high they are!¹³ And thou sayest: 'What doth God know? Can He judge through the dark cloud?¹⁴ Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the circuit of heaven.'

¹⁵ Wilt thou keep the old way which wicked men have trodden?¹⁶ Who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream;¹⁷ Who said unto God: 'Depart from us'; and what could the Almighty do unto them?¹⁸ Yet He filled their houses with good things--but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.¹⁹ The righteous saw it, and were glad, and the innocent laugh them to scorn:²⁰ 'Surely their substance is cut off, and their abundance the fire hath consumed.'

²¹ Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace; thereby shall thine increase be good.²² Receive, I pray thee, instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in thy heart.²³ If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up--if thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents,²⁴ And lay thy treasure in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;²⁵ And the Almighty be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee;²⁶ Then surely shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.²⁷ Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;²⁸ Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee, and light shall shine upon thy ways.²⁹ When they cast thee down, thou shalt say: 'There is lifting up'; for the humble person He saveth.³⁰ He delivereth him that is innocent, yea, thou shalt be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.