Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Themanite responded by saying:
Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,
2 Can man be compared with God, even if he were perfect in knowledge?
Can a man be serviceable unto God? Truly the intelligent is serviceable unto himself.
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 that thou art righteous? or is it any gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Will he reprove you and take you to judgment for being afraid,
Is it out of fear of thee that he will reproach thee? or go with thee into judgment?
5 and not because of your many evil deeds and your infinite unfairness?
Is not thy evil great? and no end to thy iniquities?
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 from thy brothers for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 You have not given water to the weary; you have taken bread away from the hungry.
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and from the hungry thou hast withholden bread.
8 By the strength of your arm, you took possession of the land, and you retain it by being the strongest.
But as for the man of a strong arm, he obtained the land, and the highly honored could dwell therein.
9 You have sent widows away empty, and you have crushed the shoulders of orphans.
Widows hast thou sent away empty, 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 are snares round about thee, and sudden dread terrifieth 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 seest thou not the darkness? and the abundance of water which covereth 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 heaven? and beholding the highest elevation of the stars, however high they are?
13 And you say: “Well, what does God know?” and, “He judges, as if through a fog,”
But thou sayest, “What doth God know? can he judge behind the darkness?
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 for him, so that he will not see; and he walketh along on the circle of heaven.”
15 Do you not want to tend the path of the ages, which wicked men have spurned?
Wilt thou [thus] observe the path of ancient times which the men of injustice have trodden?
16 These were taken away before their time, and a flood overthrew their foundation.
Who were shrivelled up before their time, whose foundation was flooded away like a river;
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 wrought the Almighty for them?
18 though he had filled their houses with good things. May their way of thinking be far from me.
And yet it was he that filled their houses with good things; but the counsel of the wicked be [still] far from me.
19 The just will see and will rejoice, and the innocent will mock them.
The righteous will see it, and be glad; and the innocent will laugh them to scorn.
20 Has not their haughtiness been cut down, and has not fire devoured the remnants of them?
“Is not he destroyed that rose up against us, and hath not the fire consumed what they had left?”
21 So, repose yourself with him and be at peace, and, in this way, you will have the best fruits.
Do but become acquainted with him, and be at peace: thereby will happiness come unto thee.
22 Accept the law from his mouth, and place his words in your heart.
Do but accept instruction from his mouth, and lay up his saying 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, so thou wilt but remove wrong-doing far away from thy tents.
24 He will give you stone in place of dirt, and torrents of gold in place of stone.
And throw down in the dust precious metals, and [the gold of] Ophir to the stones of the brooks:
25 And the Almighty will be against your enemies, and silver will be gathered together for you.
Then will the Almighty be thy precious metal, and brightly-shining silver unto thee.
26 Then will you flock together in delight over the Almighty, and you will lift up your face to God.
For then wilt thou have in the Almighty thy delight, and thou canst lift up unto God thy face.
27 You will plead with him, and he will listen to you, and you will pay your vows.
Thou wilt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and thy vows wilt thou pay.
28 You will decide on something, and it will come to you, and the light will shine in your ways.
And if thou decree a thing, it will be fulfilled unto thee; and upon thy ways the light will shine.
29 For he who had been humbled, will be in glory; and he who will lower his eyes, will be the one saved.
For when men are brought low, thou wilt say, Pride [hath done it]; but those of lowly eyes [God] will help.
30 The innocent will be saved, and he will be saved with purity in his hands.
He will even deliver him who is not guiltless: and thou wilt be delivered by the purity of thy hands.
