Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
2 “Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him?
To God is a man profitable, Because a wise man to himself is profitable?
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 thou art righteous? is it gain, That thou makest perfect thy ways?
4 Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you and enters into judgment against you?
Because of thy reverence Doth He reason [with] thee? He entereth with thee into judgment:
5 Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless?
Is not thy wickedness abundant? And there is no end to thine iniquities.
6 For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing.
For thou takest a pledge of thy brother for nought, And the garments of the naked Thou dost strip off.
7 You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished,
Thou causest not the weary to drink water, And from the hungry thou withholdest bread.
8 while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it.
As to the man of arm — he hath the earth, And the accepted of face — he dwelleth in it.
9 You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.
Widows thou hast sent away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.
10 Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you;
Therefore round about thee [are] snares, And trouble thee doth fear suddenly.
11 it is so dark you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.
Or darkness — thou dost not see, And abundance of waters doth cover thee.
12 Is not God as high as the heavens? Look at the highest stars, how lofty they are!
Is not God high [in] heaven? 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 thou hast said, 'What — hath God known? Through thickness doth He judge?
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 doth not see;' And the circle of the heavens He walketh habitually,
15 Will you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod?
The path of the age dost thou observe, 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 doth the Mighty One 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 hath filled their houses [with] good: (And the counsel of the wicked Hath been far from me.)
19 The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock them:
See do the righteous and they rejoice, And the innocent mocketh at them,
20 ‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire has consumed their excess.’
'Surely our substance hath not been cut off, And their excellency hath fire consumed.'
21 Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.
Acquaint thyself, I pray thee, with Him, And be at peace, Thereby thine increase [is] good.
22 Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.
Receive, I pray thee, from His mouth a law, And set His sayings in thy heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice from your tents
If thou dost return unto the Mighty Thou art built up, Thou puttest iniquity far from thy tents.
24 and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines,
So as to set on the dust a defence, And on a rock of the valleys a covering.
25 then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you.
And the Mighty hath been thy defence, And silver [is] strength to thee.
26 Surely then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.
For then on the Mighty thou delightest thyself, And dost lift up unto God thy face,
27 You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.
Thou dost make supplication unto Him, And He doth hear thee, And thy vows thou completest.
28 Your decisions will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways.
And thou decreest a saying, And it is established to thee, And on thy ways hath light shone.
29 When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the lowly.
For they have made low, And thou sayest, 'Lift up.' And the bowed down of eyes he saveth.
30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent, rescuing him through the cleanness of your hands.”
He delivereth the not innocent, Yea, he hath been delivered By the cleanness of thy hands.
