Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Themanite answered, and said:
Then Eliphaz the Thaemanite answered and said,
2 Can man be compared with God, even though he were of perfect knowledge?
Is it not the Lord that teaches understanding and knowledge?
3 What doth it profit God if thou be just? or what dost thou give him if thy way be unspotted?
For what matters it to the Lord, if thou wert blameless in [thy] works? or is it profitable that thou shouldest perfect thy way?
4 Shall he reprove thee for fear, and come with thee into judgment:
Wilt thou maintain and plead thine own cause? and will he enter into judgment with thee?
5 And not for thy manifold wickedness, and thy infinite iniquities?
Is not thy wickedness abundant, and thy sins innumerable?
6 For thou hast taken away the pledge of thy brethren without cause, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
And thou hast taken security of thy brethren for nothing, and hast taken away the clothing of the naked.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary, thou hast withdrawn bread from the hungry.
Neither hast thou given water to the thirsty to drink, but hast taken away the morsel of the hungry.
8 In the strength of thy arm thou didst possess the land, and being the most mighty thou holdest it.
And thou hast accepted the persons of some; and thou hast established those [that were already settled] on the earth.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless thou hast broken in pieces.
But thou hast sent widows away empty, and has afflicted orphans.
10 Therefore art thou surrounded with snares, and sudden fear troubleth thee.
Therefore snares have compassed thee, and disastrous war has troubled thee.
11 And didst thou think that thou shouldst not see darkness, and that thou shouldst not be covered with the violence of overflowing waters?
The light has proved darkness to thee, and water has covered thee on thy lying down.
12 Dost not thou think that God is higher than heaven, and is elevated above the height of the stars?
Does not he that dwells in the high places observe? and has he not brought down the proud?
13 And thou sayst: What doth God know? and he judgeth as it were through a mist.
And thou has said, What does the Mighty One know? does he judge in the dark?
14 The clouds are his covert, and he doth not consider our things, and he walketh about the poles of heaven.
A cloud is his hiding-place, and he shall not be seen; and he passes through the circle of heaven.
15 Dost thou desire to keep the path of ages, which wicked men have trodden?
Wilt thou [not] mark the old way, which righteous men have trodden?
16 Who were taken away before their time, and a flood hath overthrown their foundation.
who were seized before their time: their foundations [are as] an overflowing stream.
17 Who said to God: Depart from us: and looked upon the Almighty as if he could do nothing:
Who say, What will the Lord do to us? or what will the Almighty bring upon us?
18 Whereas he had filled their houses with good things: whose way of thinking be far from me.
Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel for the wicked is far from him.
19 The just shall see, and shall rejoice, and the innocent shall laugh them to scorn.
The righteous have seen [it], and laughed, and the blameless one has derided [them].
20 Is not their exaltation cut down, and hath not fire devoured the remnants of them?
Verily their substance has been utterly destroyed, and the fire shall devour what is left of their [property].
21 Submit thyself then to him, and be at peace: and thereby thou shalt have the best fruits.
Be firm, I pray thee, if thou canst endure; then thy fruit shall prosper.
22 Receive the law of his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
And receive a declaration from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
23 If thou wilt return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, and shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacle.
And if thou shalt turn and humble thyself before the Lord, thou hast [thus] removed unrighteousness far from thy habitation.
24 He shall give for earth flint, and for flint torrents of gold.
Thou shalt lay up for thyself [treasure] in a heap on the rock; and Sophir [shall be] as the rock of the torrent.
25 And the Almighty shall be against thy enemies, and silver shall be heaped together for thee.
So the Almighty shall be thy helper from enemies, and he shall bring thee forth pure as silver that has been tried by fire.
26 Then shalt thou abound in delights in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face to God.
Then shalt thou have boldness before the Lord, looking up cheerfully to heaven.
27 Thou shalt pray to him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay vows.
And he shall hear thee when thou prayest to him, and he shall grant thee [power] to pay thy vows.
28 Thou shalt decree a thing, and it I shall come to thee, and light shall shine in thy ways.
And he shall establish to thee again a habitation of righteousness and there shall be light upon thy paths.
29 For he that hath been humbled, shall be in glory: and he that shall bow down his eyes, he shall be saved.
Because thou hast humbled thyself; and thou shalt say, [Man] has behaved proudly, but he shall save him that is of lowly eyes.
30 The innocent shall be saved, and he shall be saved by the cleanness of his hands.
He shall deliver the innocent, and do thou save thyself by thy pure hands.
