Job 22
1 To naah Teman acaeng Eliphaz mah,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded and said,
2 palungha kami loe angmah han ih ni atho oh, kami loe Sithaw han amekhaih oh maw?
“How can anyone be of help to God? Even wise people are only helpful to themselves.
3 Na toenghaih mah Thacak Sithaw anghoesak tih maw? Coek koi om ai tuinuen hoihaih rang hoiah anih han tih amekhaih maw oh?
Is it any benefit to the Almighty if you're a good person? What does he gain if you do what's right?
4 Sithaw ka zit pongah anih mah ang thuitaek, tiah na poek maw? Anih loe lokcaekhaih ahmuen ah nang hoi nawnto caeh tih maw?
Does he correct you and bring charges against you because of your reverence?
5 Na zaehaih loe paroeai len, na zaehaih loe kroek laek ai pop pongah na ai maw hae tiah na oh?
No: it's because you're so wicked! Your sins are never-ending!
6 Nang loe nam nawkamyanawk ih hmuenmae to na lak pae, nihcae ih khukbuen to na khringh pae moe, bangkrai ah na suek.
For no reason at all you took your brother's clothing as a security for a debt, and left them stripped naked.
7 Angpho kami tuinaek hanah na paek ai, zok amthlam kami doeh buh na pacah ai.
You refused water to the thirsty; you denied food to the hungry.
8 Thacak kami loe long to a tawnh; khingya koi kaom kami loe to ah khosak.
Is it because the land belongs to the powerful, and only the privileged have a right to live there?
9 Toe lamhmainawk to bangkrai ah na patoeh ving moe, ampa tawn ai kaminawk ih ban to nang khaehsak.
You have sent widows away empty-handed; you have crushed the outstretched arms of orphans, begging for help.
10 To pongah ni nang loe thaangnawk mah ang takui o khoep moe, zithaih mah raihaih ang paek;
That's why you're surrounded by traps to catch you, and why you suddenly panic in terror.
11 to tih ai boeh loe na hnu thai ai ih, vinghaih mah raihaih ang paek moe, paroeai pop tuinawk mah ang uem.
That's why it's so dark you cannot see, and why you feel like you're drowning.
12 Sithaw loe kasang van ah na ai maw oh? Van ih cakaehnawk loe nasetto maw sang o, tiah khen ah!
Doesn't God live in highest heaven and looks down on even the highest stars?
13 Toe nang mah loe, Sithaw mah kawbangmaw panoek tih? Anih loe kathah tamai kamnum thung hoiah lokcaek thai tih maw?
But you ask, ‘What does God know? How can he see and judge what happens in down here in darkness?
14 Kathah parai tamai mah anih to khuk khoep pongah, anih mah hnu mak ai; anih loe van amhaehaih loklam ranui ah ni amkaeh, tiah na thuih.
Thick clouds cover him so he can't see anything as he walks around in heaven.’
15 Kasae kaminawk caehhaih loklam kangquem to na pazui han maw?
Why do you insist on following the traditional thinking of the wicked?
16 Nihcae loe atue akoep ai naah amro o moe, nihcae angdoethaih ahmuen doeh tui mah lak pae king.
They were taken before their time; all they had built was washed away.
17 Nihcae mah Sithaw khaeah, Kaicae hae na caeh taak ah; Thacak Sithaw mah kaicae han timaw sah thai tang tih, tiah thuih o.
They had told God, ‘Get lost! What can the Almighty do to us?’
18 Sithaw mah kahoih hmuen hoiah nihcae ih im to koisak; toe kai loe kasae kaminawk ih poekhaih to kang qoi taak.
And yet he was the one who had filled their homes with good things—but I don't accept their way of thinking.
19 Nihcae amrohaih to katoeng kaminawk mah hnuk o naah, anghoe o; zaehaih tawn ai kaminawk mah nihcae to pahnui o thuih.
Those who do right rejoice when they see the destruction of the wicked, and the innocent mock them,
20 Kaicae ih misanawk loe amro o tangtang boeh, kanghmat nihcae ih hmuennawk doeh hmai mah kangh boih boeh.
saying, ‘Our enemies are destroyed, and fire has burned up all that's left of them.’
21 Sithaw khae ang paek o ah loe, anih hoi angdaeh oh; to tiah na sak o nahaeloe nang khaeah khosak hoihaih angzo tih.
Come back to God and be reconciled to him, and you'll be prosperous again.
22 Anih pakha thung hoi tacawt daan to talawk ah loe, anih ih lok to na palung thungah khrum ah.
Listen to what he tells you and keep his words in mind.
23 Thacak Sithaw khaeah nam laem o nahaeloe, anih mah na raemh let tih; na ohhaih kahni imthung hoiah na sakpazaehaih to takhoe ving nahaeloe,
If you return to God you will be restored. If you renounce your sinful life
24 sui to maiphu baktih, Ophir ih sui to tuipui ih thlung baktiah na patung tih.
and give up your love of money and desire for possessions,
25 Ue, Thacak Sithaw loe nang ih sui ah om ueloe, atho kana sumkanglung paroeai na tawn tih.
then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver.
26 To tiah nahaeloe Thacak Sithaw pongah anghoehaih na tawn ueloe, Sithaw to na doeng tahang tih.
Then you will find delight in the Almighty, and be able to face him without feeling ashamed.
27 Anih khaeah lawk na thuih naah, anih mah na tahngai pae tih; to tiah lokkamhaih to na koepsak tih.
You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will keep your promises to him.
28 Na patoep ih hmuen to angcoeng ueloe, na caehhaih loklam to aang tih.
Whatever you decide to do will be successful, and wherever you go, light will shine on you.
29 Kaminawk pakhrak tathuk naah, nang loe pakoehhaih ah ka oh, tiah na thui tih; mi tlim ah khosah kami loe Sithaw mah pahlong tih.
When others are humbled, and you say, ‘please help them,’ God will save them.
30 Anih mah zaehaih tawn kami to pahlong tih; kaciim na ban hoiah anih to pahlong tih, tiah a naa.
God saves those who are innocent, and you will be saved if you do what is right.”
