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