Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Thaemanite answered and said,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 Is it not the Lord that teaches understanding and knowledge?
Can a man be profitable unto El, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
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, that thou art righteous? or 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 reprove 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 infinite?
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 from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
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 weary 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 as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
9 But thou hast sent widows away empty, and has afflicted orphans.
Thou has sent widows away empty, 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 abundance 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 Eloah in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 And thou has said, What does the Mighty One know? does he judge in the dark?
And thou sayest, How doth El know? can 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 in the circuit of heaven.
15 Wilt thou [not] mark the old way, which righteous men have trodden?
Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
16 who were seized before their time: their foundations [are as] an overflowing stream.
Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:
17 Who say, What will the Lord do to us? or what will the Almighty bring upon us?
Which said unto El, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for 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 things: 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].
Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.
21 Be firm, I pray thee, if thou canst endure; then thy fruit shall prosper.
Acquaint now thyself 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, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine 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, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
24 Thou shalt lay up for thyself [treasure] in a heap on the rock; and Sophir [shall be] as the rock of the torrent.
Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
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.
Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
26 Then shalt thou have boldness before the Lord, looking up cheerfully to heaven.
For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto Eloah.
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 shall 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.
Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the 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 men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
30 He shall deliver the innocent, and do thou save thyself by thy pure hands.
He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
