Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,
2 “Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
Can a man be serviceable unto God? Truly the intelligent is serviceable unto himself.
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him that you make your ways perfect?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it any gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgment?
Is it out of fear of thee that he will reproach thee? or go with thee into judgment?
5 Is not your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.
Is not thy evil great? and no end to thy iniquities?
6 For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brothers for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 You have not given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and from the hungry thou hast withholden bread.
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived in it.
But as for the man of a strong arm, he obtained the land, and the highly honored could dwell therein.
9 You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Widows hast thou sent away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,
Therefore are snares round about thee, and sudden dread terrifieth thee.
11 or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.
Or seest thou not the darkness? and the abundance of water which covereth thee?
12 “Is not God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!
Is not God in the height of heaven? and beholding the highest elevation of the stars, however high they are?
13 You say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
But thou sayest, “What doth God know? can he judge behind the darkness?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he does not see. He walks on the vault of the sky.’
Thick clouds are a covering for him, so that he will not see; and he walketh along on the circle of heaven.”
15 Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,
Wilt thou [thus] observe the path of ancient times which the men of injustice have trodden?
16 who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
Who were shrivelled up before their time, whose foundation was flooded away like a river;
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 wrought the Almighty for them?
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
And yet it was he that filled their houses with good things; but the counsel of the wicked be [still] far from me.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,
The righteous will see it, and be glad; and the innocent will laugh them to scorn.
20 saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed their remnant.’
“Is not he destroyed that rose up against us, and hath not the fire consumed what they had left?”
21 “Acquaint yourself with him now, and be at peace. By it, good will come to you.
Do but become acquainted with him, and be at peace: thereby will happiness come unto thee.
22 Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
Do but accept instruction from his mouth, and lay up his saying in thy heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, so thou wilt but remove wrong-doing far away from thy tents.
24 Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
And throw down in the dust precious metals, and [the gold of] Ophir to the stones of the brooks:
25 The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.
Then will the Almighty be thy precious metal, and brightly-shining silver unto thee.
26 For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face to God.
For then wilt thou have in the Almighty thy delight, and thou canst lift up unto God thy face.
27 You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You will pay your vows.
Thou wilt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and thy vows wilt thou pay.
28 You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to you. Light will shine on your ways.
And if thou decree a thing, it will be fulfilled unto thee; and upon thy ways the light will shine.
29 When they cast down, you will say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will save the humble person.
For when men are brought low, thou wilt say, Pride [hath done it]; but those of lowly eyes [God] will help.
30 He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
He will even deliver him who is not guiltless: and thou wilt be delivered by the purity of thy hands.
