Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Thaemanite answered and said,
And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 Is it not the Lord that teaches understanding and knowledge?
Can a man be profitable to God? surely it is unto himself that the wise man is profitable.
3 For what matters it to the Lord, if thou wert blameless in [thy] works? or is it profitable that thou shouldest perfect thy way?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if thou art righteous? And is it gain [to him] that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Wilt thou maintain and plead thine own cause? and will he enter into judgment with thee?
Will he reason with thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Is not thy wickedness abundant, and thy sins innumerable?
Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?
6 And thou hast taken security of thy brethren for nothing, and hast taken away the clothing of the naked.
For thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought, and stripped off the clothing of the naked.
7 Neither hast thou given water to the thirsty to drink, but hast taken away the morsel of the hungry.
Thou hast not given water to the fainting to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 And thou hast accepted the persons of some; and thou hast established those [that were already settled] on the earth.
But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.
9 But thou hast sent widows away empty, and has afflicted orphans.
Widows hast thou sent empty away, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares have compassed thee, and disastrous war has troubled thee.
Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
11 The light has proved darkness to thee, and water has covered thee on thy lying down.
Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and floods of waters cover thee.
12 Does not he that dwells in the high places observe? and has he not brought down the proud?
Is not God in the height of the heavens? And behold the summit of the stars: how exalted are they!
13 And thou has said, What does the Mighty One know? does he judge in the dark?
And thou sayest, What doth God know? will he judge through the dark cloud?
14 A cloud is his hiding-place, and he shall not be seen; and he passes through the circle of heaven.
Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh on the vault of the heavens.
15 Wilt thou [not] mark the old way, which righteous men have trodden?
Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?
16 who were seized before their time: their foundations [are as] an overflowing stream.
Who were carried off before the time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood;
17 Who say, What will the Lord do to us? or what will the Almighty bring upon us?
Who said unto God, Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do to them?
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel for the wicked is far from him.
Yet he filled their houses with good. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous have seen [it], and laughed, and the blameless one has derided [them].
The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
20 Verily their substance has been utterly destroyed, and the fire shall devour what is left of their [property].
Is not he who rose against us destroyed, and doth not the fire consume his residue?
21 Be firm, I pray thee, if thou canst endure; then thy fruit shall prosper.
Reconcile thyself now with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
22 And receive a declaration from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
23 And if thou shalt turn and humble thyself before the Lord, thou hast [thus] removed unrighteousness far from thy habitation.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up. If thou remove unrighteousness far from thy tents,
24 Thou shalt lay up for thyself [treasure] in a heap on the rock; and Sophir [shall be] as the rock of the torrent.
And put the precious ore with the dust, and [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the torrents,
25 So the Almighty shall be thy helper from enemies, and he shall bring thee forth pure as silver that has been tried by fire.
Then the Almighty will be thy precious ore, and silver heaped up unto thee;
26 Then shalt thou have boldness before the Lord, looking up cheerfully to heaven.
Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God:
27 And he shall hear thee when thou prayest to him, and he shall grant thee [power] to pay thy vows.
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;
28 And he shall establish to thee again a habitation of righteousness and there shall be light upon thy paths.
And thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 Because thou hast humbled thyself; and thou shalt say, [Man] has behaved proudly, but he shall save him that is of lowly eyes.
When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.
30 He shall deliver the innocent, and do thou save thyself by thy pure hands.
[Even] him that is not innocent shall he deliver; yea, he shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.
