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Eliphaz's Third Speech
What Use Are We Humans to God?
22
1 Eliphaz from Teman  v 22.1 Teman: See the note at 2.11. said:
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22
  Chapter recording
List of all recordings of KJV
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
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2 What use are we humans 
to God,
even the wisest of us?
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2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? as he...: or, if he may be profitable, doth his good success depend thereon?
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3 If you were completely sinless,
that would still mean nothing
to God All-Powerful.
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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 he correcting you
for worshiping him?
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4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
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5 No! It's because
of your terrible sins.
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5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
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6 To guarantee payment of a debt,
you have taken clothes
from the poor.
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6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing. the naked...: Heb. the clothes of the naked
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7 And you refused bread and water
to the hungry and thirsty,
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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 although you were rich,
respected, and powerful.
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8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it. mighty...: Heb. man of arm honourable...: Heb. eminent, or, accepted for countenance
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9 You have turned away widows
and have broken the arms
of orphans.
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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 That's why you were suddenly
trapped by terror,
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10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
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11 blinded by darkness,
and drowned in a flood.
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11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.
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God Lives in the Heavens
12 God lives in the heavens
above the highest stars,
where he sees everything.
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12 Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are! height of the stars: Heb. head of the stars
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13 Do you think the deep darkness
hides you from God?
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13 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud? How: or, What
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14 Do thick clouds cover his eyes,
as he walks around heaven's dome
high above the earth?
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14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
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15 Give up those ancient ideas
believed by sinners,
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15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
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16 who were swept away
without warning.
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16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood: whose...: Heb. a flood was poured upon their foundation
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17 They rejected God All-Powerful,
feeling he was helpless,
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17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them? for: or, to
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18 although he had been kind
to their families.
The beliefs of these sinners
are truly disgusting.
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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 When God's people see
the godless swept away,
they celebrate,
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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,
“Our enemies are gone,
and fire has destroyed
their possessions.”
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20 Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth. substance: or, estate the remnant...: or, their excellency
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Surrender to God All-Powerful
21 Surrender to God All-Powerful!
You will find peace
and prosperity.
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21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. him: that is, God
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22 Listen to his teachings
and take them to heart.
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22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
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23 If you return to God
and turn from sin,
all will go well for you.
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23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
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24 So get rid of your finest gold,
as though it were sand.
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24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. as dust: or, on the dust
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25 Let God All-Powerful
be your silver and gold,
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25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. defence: or, gold plenty...: Heb. silver of strength
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26 and you will find happiness
by worshiping him.
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26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
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27 God will answer your prayers,
and you will keep the promises
you made to him.
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27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.
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28 He will do whatever you ask,
and life will be bright.
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28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
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29 When others are disgraced,
God will clear their names
in answer to your prayers.
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29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. the humble...: Heb. him that hath low eyes
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30 Even those who are guilty
will be forgiven,
because you obey God. w 22.30 God: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verses 29,30.
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30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands. He shall...: or, The innocent shall deliver the island
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© 1999 American Bible Society |
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