| 1 |
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
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| 2 |
Can a man be profitable unto God? Surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself.
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| 3 |
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
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| 4 |
Is it for thy fear of him that he reproveth thee, That he entereth with thee into judgment?
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| 5 |
Is not thy wickedness great? Neither is there any end to thine iniquities.
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| 6 |
For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, And stripped the naked of their clothing.
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| 7 |
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
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| 8 |
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; And the honorable man, he dwelt in it.
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| 9 |
Thou hast sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
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| 10 |
Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear troubleth thee,
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| 11 |
Or darkness, so that thou canst not see, And abundance of waters cover thee.
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| 12 |
Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
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| 13 |
And thou sayest, What doth God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
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| 14 |
Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he seeth not; And he walketh on the vault of heaven.
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| 15 |
Wilt thou 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 unto 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; And the innocent laugh them to scorn,
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| 20 |
Saying, Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, And the remnant of them the fire hath consumed.
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| 21 |
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thereby good shall come unto thee.
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| 22 |
Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart.
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| 23 |
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, If thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents.
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| 24 |
And lay thou thy treasure in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;
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| 25 |
And the Almighty will be thy treasure, And precious silver unto thee.
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| 26 |
For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
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| 27 |
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee; And thou shalt pay thy vows.
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| 28 |
Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; And light shall shine upon thy ways.
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| 29 |
When they cast thee down, thou shalt say, There is lifting up; And the humble person he will save.
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| 30 |
He will deliver even him that is not innocent: Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.
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