Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, and said,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
Can a man, then, profit God? Behold, the wise man profiteth himself.
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou are righteous? Or is it gain to him that thou make thy ways perfect?
Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous; Or a gain to him, that thou walkest uprightly?
4 Is it for thy fear of him that he reproves thee, that he enters with thee into judgment?
Will he contend with thee because he feareth thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? Neither is there any end to thine iniquities.
Hath not thy wickedness been great? Have not thine iniquities been numberless?
6 For thou have taken pledges from thy brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother unjustly, And stripped the poor of their clothing.
7 Thou have not given water to the weary to drink, and thou have withheld bread from the hungry.
Thou hast given the weary no water to drink, And withholden bread from the hungry.
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the land. And the honorable man, he dwelt in it.
But the man of power, his was the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it.
9 Thou have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Thou hast sent widows away empty, And broken the arms of the fatherless.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubles thee,
Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear confoundeth thee;
11 or darkness, so that thou cannot see, and abundance of waters cover thee.
Or darkness, through which thou canst not see, And floods of water cover thee.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the stars, how high they are!
13 And thou say, What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
Hence thou sayest, “What doth God know? Can he govern behind the thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.
Dark clouds are a veil to him, and he cannot see; And he walketh upon the arch of heaven.”
15 Will thou keep the old way which wicked men have trodden?
Wilt thou take the old way Which wicked men have trodden,
16 Who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
Who were cut down before their time, And whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
17 who said to God, Depart from us, and, What can the Almighty do for us?
Who said unto God, “Depart from us!” And, “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.
And yet he filled their houses with good things!—Far from me be the counsel of the wicked!
19 The righteous see it, and are glad. And the innocent laugh them to scorn,
The righteous see their fate, and rejoice; And the innocent hold them in derision.
20 Saying, Surely those who rose up against us are cut off, and the remnant of them, the fire has consumed.
“Truly our adversary is destroyed, And fire hath consumed his abundance!”
21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace. By this good shall come to thee.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thus shall prosperity return to thee.
22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shall be built up, thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; If thou put away iniquity from thy tent.
24 Then thou shall lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
Cast to the dust thy gold, And the gold of Ophir to the stones of the brook:
25 Yea, the Almighty will be thy treasure, and precious silver to thee.
Then shall the Almighty be thy gold, Yea, treasures of silver unto thee;
26 For then shall thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shall lift up thy face to God.
For then shalt thou have delight in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 Thou shall make thy prayer to him, and he will hear thee, and thou shall pay thy vows.
Thou shalt pray to him, and he shall hear thee, And thou shalt perform thy vows.
28 Thou shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established to thee. And light shall shine upon thy ways.
The purpose which thou formest shall prosper with thee, And light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When they cast thee down, thou shall say, There is lifting up, and he will save the humble man.
When men are cast down, thou shalt say, “There lifting up!” And the humble person he will save.
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 him that is not innocent. The purity of thy hands shall save him.
