Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 “Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him?
Can a man, then, profit God? Behold, the wise man profiteth himself.
3 Does it delight the Almighty that you are righteous? Does He profit if your ways are blameless?
Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous; Or a gain to him, that thou walkest uprightly?
4 Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you and enters into judgment against you?
Will he contend with thee because he feareth thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless?
Hath not thy wickedness been great? Have not thine iniquities been numberless?
6 For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing.
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother unjustly, And stripped the poor of their clothing.
7 You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished,
Thou hast given the weary no water to drink, And withholden bread from the hungry.
8 while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it.
But the man of power, his was the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it.
9 You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.
Thou hast sent widows away empty, And broken the arms of the fatherless.
10 Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you;
Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear confoundeth thee;
11 it is so dark you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.
Or darkness, through which thou canst not see, And floods of water cover thee.
12 Is not God as high as the heavens? Look at the highest stars, how lofty they are!
Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the stars, how high they are!
13 Yet you say: ‘What does God know? Does He judge through thick darkness?
Hence thou sayest, “What doth God know? Can he govern behind the thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see us as He traverses 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 you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod?
Wilt thou take the old way Which wicked men have trodden,
16 They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood.
Who were cut down before their time, And whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
17 They said to God, ‘Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us?’
Who said unto God, “Depart from us!” And, “What can the Almighty do to us?”
18 But it was He who filled their houses with good things; so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.
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; the innocent mock them:
The righteous see their fate, and rejoice; And the innocent hold them in derision.
20 ‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire has consumed their excess.’
“Truly our adversary is destroyed, And fire hath consumed his abundance!”
21 Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thus shall prosperity return to thee.
22 Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice from your tents
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; If thou put away iniquity from thy tent.
24 and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines,
Cast to the dust thy gold, And the gold of Ophir to the stones of the brook:
25 then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you.
Then shall the Almighty be thy gold, Yea, treasures of silver unto thee;
26 Surely then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.
For then shalt thou have delight in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.
Thou shalt pray to him, and he shall hear thee, And thou shalt perform thy vows.
28 Your decisions will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways.
The purpose which thou formest shall prosper with thee, And light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the lowly.
When men are cast down, thou shalt say, “There lifting up!” And the humble person he will save.
30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent, rescuing him through the cleanness of your hands.”
He will deliver even him that is not innocent. The purity of thy hands shall save him.
