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 be useful to God? Can a wise man be useful to him?

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 if you are righteous? Is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?

4 Will he reason with thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?

Is it because of your reverence for him that he rebukes you and takes you to judgment?

5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?

Is not your wickedness great? Is there no end to your iniquities?

6 For thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought, and stripped off the clothing of the naked.

For you have demanded guarantee of a loan from your brother for no reason, and you have stripped away clothing from the naked.

7 Thou hast not given water to the fainting to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

You have not given water to weary people to drink; you have withheld bread from hungry people

8 But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.

although you, a mighty man, possessed the earth, although you, an honored man, lived in it.

9 Widows hast thou sent empty away, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

You have sent widows away empty; the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;

Therefore, snares are all around you, and sudden fear troubles you.

11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and floods of waters cover thee.

There is darkness, so that you cannot see; an abundance of waters covers you.

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 heights of heaven? Look at the height of the stars, how high they are!

13 And thou sayest, What doth God know? will he judge through the dark cloud?

You say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the thick 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 to him, so that he does not see us; he walks on the vault of heaven.'

15 Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?

Will you keep the old way that wicked men have walked—

16 Who were carried off before the time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood;

those who were snatched away before their time, those whose foundations have washed away like a river,

17 Who said unto God, Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do to them?

those who said to God, 'Depart from us'; those who said, '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.

Yet he filled their houses with good things; the plans of wicked people are far from me.

19 The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:

Righteous people see their fate and are glad; innocent people laugh them to scorn.

20 Is not he who rose against us destroyed, and doth not the fire consume his residue?

They say, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off; fire has consumed their possessions.'

21 Reconcile thyself now with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

Now agree with God and be at peace with him; in that way, good will come to you.

22 Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.

Receive, I beg you, instruction from his mouth; store 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,

If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put unrighteousness far away from your tents.

24 And put the precious ore with the dust, and [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the torrents,

Lay your treasure down in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,

25 Then the Almighty will be thy precious ore, and silver heaped up unto thee;

and the Almighty will be your treasure, precious silver to you.

26 Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God:

For then you will take pleasure in the Almighty; you will lift up your face to God.

27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;

You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you; you will pay your vows to him.

28 And thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.

You will also decree anything, and it will be confirmed for you; light will shine on your paths.

29 When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.

God humbles a proud man, and he saves the one with lowered eyes.

30 [Even] him that is not innocent shall he deliver; yea, he shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.

He will rescue even the man who is not innocent; who will be rescued through the cleanness of your hands.”