Thomson(i)
1 Upon this, Eliphaz the Thaimanite answered, and said,
2 Is it not the Lord who teacheth wisdom and understanding?
3 What! Is it any advantage to the Lord, if thou, in works, art irreprehensible? or any profit, that thou shouldst keep a straight course?
4 Or will he, instituting a suit against thee, argue and come to a trial with thee?
5 Is not thy wickedness great, and thy sins innumerable?
6 Thou hast taken pledges of thy brethren for nought, and hast stripped the naked of their cloathing.
7 Thou hast not given drink to the thirsty: but hast robbed the hungry of their morsel.
8 Thou hast respected the persons of some and settled them in the land;
9 but hast sent widows away empty, and done injustice to orphans.
10 Therefore snares have beset thee, and an unexpected war hath made thee shudder.
11 The light hath become darkness to thee, and water hath overwhelmed thee when asleep.
12 Doth not he who dwelleth on high, observe; but hath he humbled the haughty?
13 Yes, thou hast said, How can the Almighty know? Can he judge in darkness?
14 A cloud is his covering, so that be cannot be seen, though he traverse the circuit of heaven.
15 Thou wilt not keep the ancient way, which righteous men trod,
16 who were borne aloft, and whose foundations were the surgy stream. As for them
17 who said, What can the Lord do to us, or what can the Almighty bring upon us?
18 [He, who had indeed filled their houses with good things, though the counsel of the wicked is far from him.]
19 When the righteous saw them, they smiled, and he who was blameless laughed them to scorn.
20 Had not the whole of them disappeared, a fire would have consumed the residue.
21 Become hardened now, if thou remainest; and shalt thou be rewarded with good things?
22 Receive, I pray thee, from his mouth, the terms of deliverance, and lay up his words in thy heart.
23 If thou wilt return and humble thyself before the Lord, having removed iniquity far from thy dwelling,
24 thou shalt be placed on a mount, founded on a rock, and be like the rock of the torrent Sophir.
25 Then will the Almighty be thy defence from enemies; and he will make thee pure as silver tried by fire.
26 Then indeed thou shalt have confidence before the Lord; and mayst look up to heaven with cheerfulness.
27 And when thou prayest to him, he will hearken to thee, and will enable thee to pay thy vows;
28 and he will assign thee an habitation of righteousness, and light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 Because thou hast humbled thyself, thou wilt say, Such a one was insolent; but he will save him whose eyes are lowly.
30 He indeed will save the innocent. Save thyself therefore, with clean hands.