| 1 | Then Eliphaz the Themanite responded by saying: |
| 2 | Can man be compared with God, even if he were perfect in knowledge? |
| 3 | What advantage is it to God, if you were just? Or what do you provide for him, if your way should be immaculate? |
| 4 | Will he reprove you and take you to judgment for being afraid, |
| 5 | and not because of your many evil deeds and your infinite unfairness? |
| 6 | For you have taken away the collateral of your brothers without cause, and stripped them naked of their clothing. |
| 7 | You have not given water to the weary; you have taken bread away from the hungry. |
| 8 | By the strength of your arm, you took possession of the land, and you retain it by being the strongest. |
| 9 | You have sent widows away empty, and you have crushed the shoulders of orphans. |
| 10 | Because of this, you are surrounded by traps, and unexpected fears will disturb you. |
| 11 | And did you think that you would not see darkness and that you were not to be overwhelmed by the on-rush of overflowing waters? |
| 12 | Have you not considered that God is higher than the heavens and is lifted above the height of the stars? |
| 13 | And you say: "Well, what does God know?" and, "He judges, as if through a fog," |
| 14 | and, "The clouds are his hiding-place," and, "He does not examine us closely," and, "He makes his rounds at the limits of the heavens." |
| 15 | Do you not want to tend the path of the ages, which wicked men have spurned? |
| 16 | These were taken away before their time, and a flood overthrew their foundation. |
| 17 | They said to God, "Withdraw from us," and they treated the Almighty as if he could do nothing, |
| 18 | though he had filled their houses with good things. May their way of thinking be far from me. |
| 19 | The just will see and will rejoice, and the innocent will mock them. |
| 20 | Has not their haughtiness been cut down, and has not fire devoured the remnants of them? |
| 21 | So, repose yourself with him and be at peace, and, in this way, you will have the best fruits. |
| 22 | Accept the law from his mouth, and place his words in your heart. |
| 23 | If you will return to the Almighty, you will be rebuilt, and you will put sinfulness far from your tabernacle. |
| 24 | He will give you stone in place of dirt, and torrents of gold in place of stone. |
| 25 | And the Almighty will be against your enemies, and silver will be gathered together for you. |
| 26 | Then will you flock together in delight over the Almighty, and you will lift up your face to God. |
| 27 | You will plead with him, and he will listen to you, and you will pay your vows. |
| 28 | You will decide on something, and it will come to you, and the light will shine in your ways. |
| 29 | For he who had been humbled, will be in glory; and he who will lower his eyes, will be the one saved. |
| 30 | The innocent will be saved, and he will be saved with purity in his hands. |
