Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Themanite answered, and said:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 Can man be compared with God, even though he were of perfect knowledge?
Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
3 What doth it profit God if thou be just? or what dost thou give him if thy way be unspotted?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that you are righteous? or is it gain to him, that you make your ways perfect?
4 Shall he reprove thee for fear, and come with thee into judgment:
Will he reprove you for fear of you? will he enter with you into judgment?
5 And not for thy manifold wickedness, and thy infinite iniquities?
Is not your wickedness great? and your iniquities infinite?
6 For thou hast taken away the pledge of thy brethren without cause, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
For you have taken a pledge from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary, thou hast withdrawn bread from the hungry.
You have not given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8 In the strength of thy arm thou didst possess the land, and being the most mighty thou holdest it.
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless thou hast broken in pieces.
You have 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 you, and sudden fear troubles you;
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 you can not see; and abundance of waters cover you.
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 height 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 you say, How does 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 sees not; and he walks in the circuit of heaven.
15 Dost thou desire to keep the path of ages, which wicked men have trodden?
Have you marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
16 Who were taken away before their time, and a flood hath overthrown their foundation.
Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood:
17 Who said to God: Depart from us: and looked upon the Almighty as if he could do nothing:
Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for 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 see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
20 Is not their exaltation cut down, and hath not fire devoured the remnants of them?
Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumes.
21 Submit thyself then to him, and be at peace: and thereby thou shalt have the best fruits.
Acquaint now yourself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto you.
22 Receive the law of his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
Receive, I pray you, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
23 If thou wilt return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, and shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacle.
If you return to the Almighty, you shall be built up, you shall put away iniquity far from your tabernacles.
24 He shall give for earth flint, and for flint torrents of gold.
Then shall you lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
25 And the Almighty shall be against thy enemies, and silver shall be heaped together for thee.
Yea, the Almighty shall be your defence, and you shall have plenty of silver.
26 Then shalt thou abound in delights in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face to God.
For then shall you have your delight in the Almighty, and shall lift up your face unto God.
27 Thou shalt pray to him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay vows.
You shall make your prayer unto him, and he shall hear you, and you shall pay your vows.
28 Thou shalt decree a thing, and it I shall come to thee, and light shall shine in thy ways.
You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto you: and the light shall shine upon your 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 men are cast down, then you shall say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
30 The innocent shall be saved, and he shall be saved by the cleanness of his hands.
He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of your hands.
