Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
2 “Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him?
“Is a man profitable to God, Because a wise man is profitable to himself?
3 Does it delight the Almighty that you are righteous? Does He profit if your ways are blameless?
Is it a delight to the Mighty One That you are righteous? Is it gain, That you make your ways perfect?
4 Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you and enters into judgment against you?
Because of your reverence Does He reason [with] you? He enters with you into judgment:
5 Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless?
Is your wickedness not abundant? And there is no end to your iniquities.
6 For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing.
For you take a pledge of your brother for nothing, And you strip off the garments of the naked.
7 You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished,
You do not cause the weary to drink water, And you withhold bread from the hungry.
8 while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it.
As for the man of arm—he has the earth, And the accepted of face—he dwells in it.
9 You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.
You have sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.
10 Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you;
Therefore snares [are] all around you, And sudden fear troubles you.
11 it is so dark you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.
Or darkness—you do not see, And abundance of waters covers you.
12 Is not God as high as the heavens? Look at the highest stars, how lofty they are!
Is God not high [in] the heavens? And see the summit of the stars, That they are high.
13 Yet you say: ‘What does God know? Does He judge through thick darkness?
And you have said, How has God known? Does He judge through thickness?
14 Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see us as He traverses the vault of heaven.’
Thick clouds [are] a secret place to Him, And He does not see, And He habitually walks [above] the circle of the heavens.
15 Will you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod?
Do you observe the path of the age, That men of iniquity have trodden,
16 They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood.
Who have been cut down unexpectedly? A flood is poured out on their foundation.
17 They said to God, ‘Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us?’
Those saying to God, Turn aside from us, And what does the Mighty One do to them?
18 But it was He who filled their houses with good things; so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.
And He has filled their houses [with] good (And the counsel of the wicked Has been far from me).
19 The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock them:
The righteous see and they rejoice, And the innocent mocks at them:
20 ‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire has consumed their excess.’
Surely our substance has not been cut off, And fire has consumed their excellence.
21 Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.
Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace, Thereby your increase [is] good.
22 Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.
Please receive a law from His mouth, And set His sayings in your heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice from your tents
If you return to the Mighty you are built up, You put iniquity far from your tents.
24 and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines,
So as to set a defense on the dust, And a covering on a rock of the valleys.
25 then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you.
And the Mighty has been your defense, And silver [is] strength to you.
26 Surely then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.
For then you delight yourself on the Mighty, And lift up your face to God,
27 You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.
You make supplication to Him, And He hears you, And you complete your vows.
28 Your decisions will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways.
And you decree a saying, And it is established to you, And light has shone on your ways.
29 When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the lowly.
For they have made low, And you say, Lift up. And He saves the bowed down of eyes.
30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent, rescuing him through the cleanness of your hands.”
He delivers the one [who is] not innocent, Indeed, he has been delivered By the cleanness of your hands.”
