Job 22
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,
2 Can a man be profitable to God? surely it is unto himself that the wise man is profitable.
Can a man be serviceable unto God? Truly the intelligent is serviceable unto himself.
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if thou art righteous? And is it gain [to him] that thou makest thy ways perfect?
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 reason with thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
Is it out of fear of thee that he will reproach thee? or go with thee into judgment?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?
Is not thy evil great? and no end to thy iniquities?
6 For thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought, and stripped off the clothing of the naked.
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brothers for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Thou hast not given water to the fainting to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and from the hungry thou hast withholden bread.
8 But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.
But as for the man of a strong arm, he obtained the land, and the highly honored could dwell therein.
9 Widows hast thou sent empty away, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Widows hast thou sent away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
Therefore are snares round about thee, and sudden dread terrifieth thee.
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and floods of waters cover thee.
Or seest thou not the darkness? and the abundance of water which covereth thee?
12 Is not God in the height of the heavens? And behold the summit of the stars: how exalted are they!
Is not God in the height of heaven? and beholding the highest elevation of the stars, however high they are?
13 And thou sayest, What doth God know? will he judge through the dark cloud?
But thou sayest, “What doth God know? can he judge behind the darkness?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh on the vault 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 Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?
Wilt thou [thus] observe the path of ancient times which the men of injustice have trodden?
16 Who were carried off before the time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood;
Who were shrivelled up before their time, whose foundation was flooded away like a river;
17 Who said unto God, Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do to them?
Who said unto God, “'Depart from us:” and what wrought the Almighty for them?
18 Yet he filled their houses with good. But the counsel of the wicked is 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 righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
The righteous will see it, and be glad; and the innocent will laugh them to scorn.
20 Is not he who rose against us destroyed, and doth not the fire consume his residue?
“Is not he destroyed that rose up against us, and hath not the fire consumed what they had left?”
21 Reconcile thyself now with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
Do but become acquainted with him, and be at peace: thereby will happiness come unto thee.
22 Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
Do but accept instruction from his mouth, and lay up his saying in thy heart.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up. If thou remove unrighteousness far from thy tents,
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, so thou wilt but remove wrong-doing far away from thy tents.
24 And put the precious ore with the dust, and [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the torrents,
And throw down in the dust precious metals, and [the gold of] Ophir to the stones of the brooks:
25 Then the Almighty will be thy precious ore, and silver heaped up unto thee;
Then will the Almighty be thy precious metal, and brightly-shining silver unto thee.
26 Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God:
For then wilt thou have in the Almighty thy delight, and thou canst lift up unto God thy face.
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;
Thou wilt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and thy vows wilt thou pay.
28 And thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.
And if thou decree a thing, it will be fulfilled unto thee; and upon thy ways the light will shine.
29 When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.
For when men are brought low, thou wilt say, Pride [hath done it]; but those of lowly eyes [God] will help.
30 [Even] him that is not innocent shall he deliver; yea, he shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.
He will even deliver him who is not guiltless: and thou wilt be delivered by the purity of thy hands.
