Job 22
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 Can a man be profitable to God? surely it is unto himself that the wise man is profitable.
“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to 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 you are righteous? Or does it benefit him that you make your ways perfect?
4 Will he reason with thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgment?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?
Isn’t your wickedness great? Neither is there any 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 taken pledges from your brother for nothing, 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.
You haven’t given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8 But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he 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, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and floods of waters cover thee.
or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.
12 Is not God in the height of the heavens? And behold the summit of the stars: how exalted are they!
“Isn’t God in the heights of heaven? See 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 doesn’t see. He walks on the vault of the sky.’
15 Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?
Will you keep 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 snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
17 Who said unto God, Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do to them?
who said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ and, ‘What can the Almighty do for 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 of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,
20 Is not he who rose against us destroyed, and doth not the fire consume his residue?
saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed their remnant.’
21 Reconcile thyself now with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
“Acquaint yourself with him now, and be at peace. By it, good will come to you.
22 Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
Please receive instruction 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,
If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far 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 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;
The Almighty will be your treasure, and 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 delight yourself in the Almighty, and 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.
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 a thing, and it will be established to you. Light will shine on your ways.
29 When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.
When they cast down, you will say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will save the humble person.
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 innocent. Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
