Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Themanite responded by saying:
And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 Can man be compared with God, even if he were perfect in knowledge?
Can a man be profitable to God? surely it is unto himself that the wise man is profitable.
3 What advantage is it to God, if you were just? Or what do you provide for him, if your way should be immaculate?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if thou art righteous? And is it gain [to him] that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Will he reprove you and take you to judgment for being afraid,
Will he reason with thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 and not because of your many evil deeds and your infinite unfairness?
Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?
6 For you have taken away the collateral of your brothers without cause, and stripped them naked of their clothing.
For thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought, and stripped off the clothing of the naked.
7 You have not given water to the weary; you have taken bread away from the hungry.
Thou hast not given water to the fainting to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 By the strength of your arm, you took possession of the land, and you retain it by being the strongest.
But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.
9 You have sent widows away empty, and you have crushed the shoulders of orphans.
Widows hast thou sent empty away, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Because of this, you are surrounded by traps, and unexpected fears will disturb you.
Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
11 And did you think that you would not see darkness and that you were not to be overwhelmed by the onrush of overflowing waters?
Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and floods of waters cover thee.
12 Have you not considered that God is higher than the heavens and is lifted above the height of the stars?
Is not God in the height of the heavens? And behold the summit of the stars: how exalted are they!
13 And you say: “Well, what does God know?” and, “He judges, as if through a fog,”
And thou sayest, What doth God know? will he judge through the dark cloud?
14 and, “The clouds are his hiding-place,” and, “He does not examine us closely,” and, “He makes his rounds at the limits of the heavens.”
Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh on the vault of the heavens.
15 Do you not want to tend the path of the ages, which wicked men have spurned?
Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?
16 These were taken away before their time, and a flood overthrew their foundation.
Who were carried off before the time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood;
17 They said to God, “Withdraw from us,” and they treated the Almighty as if he could do nothing,
Who said unto God, Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do to them?
18 though he had filled their houses with good things. May their way of thinking be far from me.
Yet he filled their houses with good. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The just will see and will rejoice, and the innocent will mock them.
The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
20 Has not their haughtiness been cut down, and has not fire devoured the remnants of them?
Is not he who rose against us destroyed, and doth not the fire consume his residue?
21 So, repose yourself with him and be at peace, and, in this way, you will have the best fruits.
Reconcile thyself now with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
22 Accept the law from his mouth, and place his words in your heart.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
23 If you will return to the Almighty, you will be rebuilt, and you will put sinfulness far from your tabernacle.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up. If thou remove unrighteousness far from thy tents,
24 He will give you stone in place of dirt, and torrents of gold in place of stone.
And put the precious ore with the dust, and [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the torrents,
25 And the Almighty will be against your enemies, and silver will be gathered together for you.
Then the Almighty will be thy precious ore, and silver heaped up unto thee;
26 Then will you flock together in delight over the Almighty, and you will lift up your face to God.
Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God:
27 You will plead with him, and he will listen to you, and you will pay your vows.
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;
28 You will decide on something, and it will come to you, and the light will shine in your ways.
And thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 For he who had been humbled, will be in glory; and he who will lower his eyes, will be the one saved.
When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.
30 The innocent will be saved, and he will be saved with purity in his hands.
[Even] him that is not innocent shall he deliver; yea, he shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.
