Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Themanite answered, and said:
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
2 Can man be compared with God, even though he were of perfect knowledge?
Can a man be profitable unto God? Or can he that is wise be profitable unto Him?
3 What doth it profit God if thou be just? or what dost thou give him if thy way be unspotted?
Is it any advantage to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways blameless?
4 Shall he reprove thee for fear, and come with thee into judgment:
Is it for thy fear of Him that He reproveth thee, that He entereth with thee into judgment?
5 And not for thy manifold wickedness, and thy infinite iniquities?
Is not thy wickedness great? And are not thine iniquities without end?
6 For thou hast taken away the pledge of thy brethren without cause, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary, thou hast withdrawn bread from the hungry.
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 In the strength of thy arm thou didst possess the land, and being the most mighty thou holdest it.
And as a mighty man, who hath the earth, and as a man of rank, who dwelleth in it,
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless thou hast broken in pieces.
Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore art thou surrounded with snares, and sudden fear troubleth thee.
Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden dread affrighted 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?
Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.
12 Dost not thou think that God is higher than heaven, and is elevated above the height of the stars?
Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the topmost of the stars, how high they are!
13 And thou sayst: What doth God know? and he judgeth as it were through a mist.
And thou sayest: 'What doth God know? Can He judge through the dark cloud?
14 The clouds are his covert, and he doth not consider our things, and he walketh about the poles of heaven.
Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the circuit of heaven.'
15 Dost thou desire to keep the path of ages, which wicked men have trodden?
Wilt thou keep the old way which wicked men have trodden?
16 Who were taken away before their time, and a flood hath overthrown their foundation.
Who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream;
17 Who said to God: Depart from us: and looked upon the Almighty as if he could do nothing:
Who said unto God: 'Depart from us'; and what could the Almighty do unto them?
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 of the wicked is far from me.
19 The just shall see, and shall rejoice, and the innocent shall laugh them to scorn.
The righteous saw it, and were glad, and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
20 Is not their exaltation cut down, and hath not fire devoured the remnants of them?
'Surely their substance is cut off, and their abundance the fire hath consumed.'
21 Submit thyself then to him, and be at peace: and thereby thou shalt have the best fruits.
Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace; thereby shall thine increase be good.
22 Receive the law of 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 wilt return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, and shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacle.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up — if thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents,
24 He shall give for earth flint, and for flint torrents of gold.
And lay thy treasure in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;
25 And the Almighty shall be against thy enemies, and silver shall be heaped together for thee.
And the Almighty be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee;
26 Then shalt thou abound in delights in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face to God.
Then surely shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 Thou shalt pray to him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay vows.
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;
28 Thou shalt decree a thing, and it I shall come to thee, and light shall shine in thy ways.
Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee, and light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 For he that hath been humbled, shall be in glory: and he that shall bow down his eyes, he shall be saved.
When they cast thee down, thou shalt say: 'There is lifting up'; for the humble person He saveth.
30 The innocent shall be saved, and he shall be saved by the cleanness of his hands.
He delivereth him that is innocent, yea, thou shalt be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.
