1 提幔人以利法回答说:
2 "人对 神能有什么益处呢?明智的人只能益己。
3 你为人公义可讨全能者喜悦吗?你行为完全可有利于他呢?
4 他是因你敬畏他而责备你, 对你施行审判吗?
5 你的罪恶不是很大吗?你的罪孽不是没有穷尽吗?
6 你无缘无故强取兄弟的东西作当头, 剥去衣不蔽体的人的衣服。
7 疲乏的人你没有给他水喝, 饥饿的人你没有给他饭吃。
8 有势力的人就有土地, 尊贵的人住在其中。
9 你叫寡妇空手而去, 你折断孤儿的膀臂。
10 因此有网罗环绕着你, 恐惧也忽然使你惊慌。
11 光明变成黑暗, 以致你看不见, 并且洪水淹没你。
12 神不是高于诸天吗?你看看最高的星星, 多么的高啊!
13 你说: ‘ 神知道什么?他能透过幽暗施行审判吗?
14 密云把他遮盖, 使他不能看见我们; 他在天上的圆圈上面走来走去。’
15 你要谨守古往的道, 就是恶人所行走的吗?
16 他们未到时候, 就被抓去, 他们的根基被洪水冲去。
17 他们对 神说: ‘离开我们吧! 全能者能把我们怎么样呢?’
18 他用美物充满他们的房屋, 恶人的谋算远离我。
19 义人看见了, 就欢喜; 无辜的人嘲笑他们, 说:
20 ‘我们的对头必被剪除, 他们剥下来的有火吞灭了。’
21 你与 神和好, 就可以得平安, 这样, 福乐就必临到你。
22 你该从他口中领受训诲, 把他的话放在心里。
23 你若归向全能者, 就必得建立; 你若使不义远离你的帐棚,
24 把你的金块丢在尘土中, 把俄斐的金块丢在河流的石头间,
25 全能者就必作你的金块, 作你的银堆,
26 你就必以全能者为乐, 向 神仰起脸来。
27 你向他祈求, 他就垂听你, 你也要还你的愿。
28 你决定的计划, 他必为你成全, 光明必照在你的路上。
29 人谦卑的时候, 你就说: ‘升高吧! ’眼中谦卑的他必拯救,
30 他搭救并非无辜的人; 他要因你手中的洁净得救拔。"
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
2 Can a man be profitable unto God?
Surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself.
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous?
Or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
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?
Neither is there any end to thine iniquities.
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 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth;
And the honorable man, he dwelt 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 fear troubleth thee,
11 Or darkness, so that thou canst not see,
And abundance of waters cover thee.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven?
And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 And thou sayest, What doth God know?
Can he judge through the thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he seeth not;
And he walketh on the vault 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 can the Almighty do for us?
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things:
But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad;
And the innocent laugh them to scorn,
20 Saying, Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off,
And the remnant of them the fire hath consumed.
21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace:
Thereby good shall come unto thee.
22 Receive, I pray thee, the law 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 thou thy treasure in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;
25 And the Almighty will be thy treasure,
And precious silver unto thee.
26 For then shalt thou delight thyself 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;
And the humble person he will save.
30 He will deliver even him that is not innocent:
Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.