Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, and said,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
“Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him?
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou are righteous? Or is it gain to him that thou make thy ways perfect?
Does it delight the Almighty that you are righteous? Does He profit if your ways are blameless?
4 Is it for thy fear of him that he reproves thee, that he enters with thee into judgment?
Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you and enters into judgment against you?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? Neither is there any end to thine iniquities.
Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless?
6 For thou have taken pledges from thy brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing.
7 Thou have not given water to the weary to drink, and thou have withheld bread from the hungry.
You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished,
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the land. And the honorable man, he dwelt in it.
while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it.
9 Thou have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubles thee,
Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you;
11 or darkness, so that thou cannot see, and abundance of waters cover thee.
it is so dark you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
Is not God as high as the heavens? Look at the highest stars, how lofty they are!
13 And thou say, What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
Yet you say: ‘What does God know? Does He judge through thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.
Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see us as He traverses the vault of heaven.’
15 Will thou keep the old way which wicked men have trodden?
Will you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod?
16 Who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood.
17 who said to God, Depart from us, and, What can the Almighty do for us?
They said to God, ‘Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us?’
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
But it was He who filled their houses with good things; so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad. And the innocent laugh them to scorn,
The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock them:
20 Saying, Surely those who rose up against us are cut off, and the remnant of them, the fire has consumed.
‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire has consumed their excess.’
21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace. By this good shall come to thee.
Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.
22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shall be built up, thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents.
If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice from your tents
24 Then thou shall lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines,
25 Yea, the Almighty will be thy treasure, and precious silver to thee.
then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you.
26 For then shall thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shall lift up thy face to God.
Surely then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.
27 Thou shall make thy prayer to him, and he will hear thee, and thou shall pay thy vows.
You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.
28 Thou shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established to thee. And light shall shine upon thy ways.
Your decisions will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways.
29 When they cast thee down, thou shall say, There is lifting up, and he will save the humble man.
When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the lowly.
30 He will deliver even him who is not innocent. Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.
He will deliver even one who is not innocent, rescuing him through the cleanness of your hands.”
