Job 22
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 Can a man be profitable to God? surely it is unto himself that the wise man is profitable.
Can a man, then, profit God? Behold, the wise man profiteth 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 a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous; Or a gain to him, that thou walkest uprightly?
4 Will he reason with thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
Will he contend with thee because he feareth thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?
Hath not thy wickedness been great? Have not thine iniquities been numberless?
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 brother unjustly, And stripped the poor of their clothing.
7 Thou hast not given water to the fainting to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
Thou hast given the weary no water to drink, And withholden bread from the hungry.
8 But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.
But the man of power, his was the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it.
9 Widows hast thou sent empty away, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Thou hast sent widows away empty, And broken the arms of the fatherless.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear confoundeth thee;
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and floods of waters cover thee.
Or darkness, through which thou canst not see, And floods of water cover 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 behold the stars, how high they are!
13 And thou sayest, What doth God know? will he judge through the dark cloud?
Hence thou sayest, “What doth God know? Can he govern behind the thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh on the vault of the heavens.
Dark clouds are a veil to him, and he cannot see; And he walketh upon the arch of heaven.”
15 Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?
Wilt thou take the old way Which wicked men have trodden,
16 Who were carried off before the time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood;
Who were cut down before their time, And whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
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 can the Almighty do to us?”
18 Yet he filled their houses with good. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
And yet he filled their houses with good things!—Far from me be the counsel of the wicked!
19 The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
The righteous see their fate, and rejoice; And the innocent hold them in derision.
20 Is not he who rose against us destroyed, and doth not the fire consume his residue?
“Truly our adversary is destroyed, And fire hath consumed his abundance!”
21 Reconcile thyself now with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thus shall prosperity return to thee.
22 Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, And lay up his words 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; If thou put away iniquity from thy tent.
24 And put the precious ore with the dust, and [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the torrents,
Cast to the dust thy gold, And the gold of Ophir to the stones of the brook:
25 Then the Almighty will be thy precious ore, and silver heaped up unto thee;
Then shall the Almighty be thy gold, Yea, treasures of silver unto thee;
26 Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God:
For then shalt thou have delight in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;
Thou shalt pray to him, and he shall hear thee, And thou shalt perform thy vows.
28 And thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.
The purpose which thou formest shall prosper with thee, And light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.
When men are cast down, thou shalt say, “There lifting up!” And the humble person he will save.
30 [Even] him that is not innocent shall he deliver; yea, he shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.
He will deliver even him that is not innocent. The purity of thy hands shall save him.
