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²¹For what pleasure hath he in his house after him?

Seeing the number of his months is determined.

 

²²Shall any teach God knowledge?

Seeing it is He that judgeth those that are high.

²³One dieth in his full strength,

Being wholly at ease and quiet;

²⁴His pails are full of milk,

And the marrow of his bones is moistened.

²⁵And another dieth in bitterness of soul,

And hath never tasted of good.

²⁶They lie down alike in the dust,

And the worm covereth them.

 

²⁷Behold, I know your thoughts,

And the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.

²⁸For ye say: 'Where is the house of the prince?

And where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt?'

²⁹Have ye not asked them that go by the way;

And will ye misdeem their tokens,

³⁰That the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity,

That they are led forth to the day of wrath?

³¹But who shall declare his way to his face?

And who shall repay him what he hath done?

³²For he is borne to the grave,

And watch is kept over his tomb.

³³The clods of the valley are sweet unto him,

And all men draw after him,

As there were innumerable before him.

³⁴How then comfort ye me in vain?

And as for your answers, there remaineth only faithlessness?

22 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:

²Can a man be profitable unto God?

Or can he that is wise be profitable unto Him?

³Is it any advantage to the Almighty, that thou art righteous?

Or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways blameless?

⁴Is it for thy fear of Him that He reproveth thee,

That He entereth with thee into judgment?

⁵Is not thy wickedness great?

And are not thine iniquities without end?

⁶For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought,

And stripped the naked of their clothing.

⁷Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink,

And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

⁸And as a mighty man, who hath the earth,

And as a man of rank, who dwelleth in it,

⁹Thou hast sent widows away empty,

And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

¹⁰Therefore snares are round about thee,

And sudden dread affrighted thee,

¹¹Or darkness, that thou canst not see,

And abundance of waters cover thee.

¹²Is not God in the height of heaven?

And behold the topmost of the stars, how high they are!

¹³And thou sayest: 'What doth God know?

Can He judge through the dark cloud?

¹⁴Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not;

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