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Eliphaz Accuses and Exhorts Job

¹ Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

² "Can a strong ^(C1)man be of use to God,
Or a wise one be useful to himself?

³ "Is it any pleasure to ^(F1)the Almighty if you are righteous,
Or gain if you make your ways blameless?

⁴ "Is it because of your ^(F1)reverence that He punishes you,
That He ^(C1)enters into judgment against you?

⁵ "Is ^(C1)your wickedness not abundant,
And is there no end to your guilty deeds?

⁶ "For you have ^(C1)seized pledges from your brothers without cause,
And ^(F1)(C2)stripped people naked.

⁷ "You have ^(C1)given the weary no water to drink,
And you have ^(C2)withheld bread from the hungry.

⁸ "But the earth ^(C1)belongs to the ^(C2)powerful man,
And ^(C3)the one who is honorable dwells on it.

⁹ "You have sent ^(C1)widows away empty,
And the ^(F1)strength of ^(C2)orphans has been crushed.

¹⁰ "Therefore ^(C1)traps surround you,
And sudden ^(C2)dread terrifies you,

¹¹ Or ^(C1)darkness, so that you cannot see,
And a ^(C2)flood of water covers you.

¹² "Is God not ^(C1)in the height of heaven?
Look also at the ^(F1)highest stars, how high they are!

¹³ "But you say, '^(C1)What does God know?
Can He judge through the thick darkness?

¹⁴ '^(C1)Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see;
And He walks on the ^(F1)vault of heaven.'

¹⁵ "Will you keep to the ancient path
Which ^(C1)wicked people have walked,

¹⁶ Who were snatched away ^(C1)before their time,
Whose ^(C2)foundations were ^(F1)washed away by a river?

¹⁷ "They ^(C1)said to God, 'Go away from us!'
And 'What can ^(F1)the Almighty do to them?'

¹⁸ "Yet He ^(C1)filled their houses with good things;
But ^(C2)the advice of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁹ "The ^(C1)righteous see and are glad,
And the innocent mock them, saying,

²⁰ 'Truly our enemies are eliminated,
And ^(C1)fire has consumed their ^(F1)abundance.'

²¹ "^(C1)Be reconciled with Him, and be at peace;
Thereby good will come to you.

²² "Please receive ^(F1)(C1)instruction from His mouth,
And put His words in your heart.

²³ "If you ^(C1)return to ^(F1)the Almighty, you will be ^(F2)restored;
If you ^(C2)remove injustice far from your tent,

²⁴ And ^(C1)put your ^(F1)gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,

²⁵ Then ^(F1)the Almighty will be your ^(F2)gold
And abundant silver to you.

²⁶ "For then you will ^(C1)take pleasure in ^(F1)the Almighty
And lift up your face to God.

²⁷ "You will ^(C1)pray to Him, and ^(C2)He will hear you;
And you will pay your vows.

²⁸ "You will also decide something, and it will be established for you;
And ^(C1)light will shine on your ways.

²⁹ "When ^(F1)they have brought you low, you will speak with ^(F2)confidence,
And He will save the ^(F3)(C1)humble person.

³⁰ "He will rescue one who is not innocent,
And he will be ^(C1)rescued due to the cleanness of your hands."