Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Themanite responded by saying:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, and sayde,
2 Can man be compared with God, even if he were perfect in knowledge?
May a man be profitable vnto God, as he that is wise, may be profitable to himselfe?
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 thing vnto the Almightie, that thou art righteous? or is it profitable to him, that thou makest thy wayes vpright?
4 Will he reprove you and take you to judgment for being afraid,
Is it for feare of thee that he will accuse thee? or go with thee into iudgement?
5 and not because of your many evil deeds and your infinite unfairness?
Is not thy wickednes great, and thine iniquities innumerable?
6 For you have taken away the collateral of your brothers without cause, and stripped them naked of their clothing.
For thou hast taken the pledge from thy brother for nought, and spoyled the clothes of the naked.
7 You have not given water to the weary; you have taken bread away from the hungry.
To such as were wearie, thou hast not giuen water to drinke, and hast withdrawen bread from the hungrie.
8 By the strength of your arm, you took possession of the land, and you retain it by being the strongest.
But the mightie man had the earth, and he that was in autoritie, dwelt in it.
9 You have sent widows away empty, and you have crushed the shoulders of orphans.
Thou hast cast out widowes emptie, and the armes of the fatherles were broken.
10 Because of this, you are surrounded by traps, and unexpected fears will disturb you.
Therefore snares are round about thee, and feare shall suddenly trouble 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 darkenes that thou shouldest not see, and abundance of waters shall couer 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 on hie in the heauen? and behold the height of the starres how hie they are.
13 And you say: “Well, what does God know?” and, “He judges, as if through a fog,”
But thou sayest, How should God know? can he iudge through the darke cloude?
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.”
The cloudes hide him that he can not see, and he walketh in the circle of heauen.
15 Do you not want to tend the path of the ages, which wicked men have spurned?
Hast thou marked the way of the worlde, wherein wicked men haue walked?
16 These were taken away before their time, and a flood overthrew their foundation.
Which were cut downe before the time, whose foundation was as a riuer that ouerflowed:
17 They said to God, “Withdraw from us,” and they treated the Almighty as if he could do nothing,
Which sayd vnto God, Depart from vs, and asked what the Almightie could do for them.
18 though he had filled their houses with good things. May their way of thinking be far from me.
Yet hee filled their houses with good things: but let the counsell of the wicked be farre from me.
19 The just will see and will rejoice, and the innocent will mock them.
The righteous shall see them, and shall reioyce, and the innocent shall laugh them to scorne.
20 Has not their haughtiness been cut down, and has not fire devoured the remnants of them?
Surely our substance is hid: but the fire hath deuoured the remnant of them.
21 So, repose yourself with him and be at peace, and, in this way, you will have the best fruits.
Therefore acquaint thy selfe, I pray thee, with him, and make peace: thereby thou shalt haue prosperitie.
22 Accept the law from his mouth, and place his words in your heart.
Receiue, I pray thee, the law of his mouth, and lay vp his words in thine heart.
23 If you will return to the Almighty, you will be rebuilt, and you will put sinfulness far from your tabernacle.
If thou returne to the Almightie, thou shalt be buylt vp, and thou shalt put iniquitie farre from thy tabernacle.
24 He will give you stone in place of dirt, and torrents of gold in place of stone.
Thou shalt lay vp golde for dust, and the gold of Ophir, as the flintes of the riuers.
25 And the Almighty will be against your enemies, and silver will be gathered together for you.
Yea, the Almightie shalbe thy defence, and thou shalt haue plentie of siluer.
26 Then will you flock together in delight over the Almighty, and you will lift up your face to God.
And thou shalt then delite in the Almightie, and lift vp thy face vnto God.
27 You will plead with him, and he will listen to you, and you will pay your vows.
Thou shalt make thy praier vnto him, and he shall heare thee, and thou shalt render thy vowes.
28 You will decide on something, and it will come to you, and the light will shine in your ways.
Thou shalt also decree a thing, and he shall establish it vnto thee, and the light shall shine vpon thy wayes.
29 For he who had been humbled, will be in glory; and he who will lower his eyes, will be the one saved.
When others are cast downe, then shalt thou say, I am lifted vp: and God shall saue the humble person.
30 The innocent will be saved, and he will be saved with purity in his hands.
The innocent shall deliuer the yland, and it shalbe preserued by the purenes of thine hands.
