Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded and said,
Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,
2 “How can anyone be of help to God? Even wise people are only helpful to themselves.
Can a man be serviceable unto God? Truly the intelligent is serviceable unto himself.
3 Is it any benefit to the Almighty if you're a good person? What does he gain if you do what's right?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it any gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Does he correct you and bring charges against you because of your reverence?
Is it out of fear of thee that he will reproach thee? or go with thee into judgment?
5 No: it's because you're so wicked! Your sins are never-ending!
Is not thy evil great? and no end to thy iniquities?
6 For no reason at all you took your brother's clothing as a security for a debt, and left them stripped naked.
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brothers for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 You refused water to the thirsty; you denied food to the hungry.
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and from the hungry thou hast withholden bread.
8 Is it because the land belongs to the powerful, and only the privileged have a right to live there?
But as for the man of a strong arm, he obtained the land, and the highly honored could dwell therein.
9 You have sent widows away empty-handed; you have crushed the outstretched arms of orphans, begging for help.
Widows hast thou sent away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 That's why you're surrounded by traps to catch you, and why you suddenly panic in terror.
Therefore are snares round about thee, and sudden dread terrifieth thee.
11 That's why it's so dark you cannot see, and why you feel like you're drowning.
Or seest thou not the darkness? and the abundance of water which covereth thee?
12 Doesn't God live in highest heaven and looks down on even the highest stars?
Is not God in the height of heaven? and beholding the highest elevation of the stars, however high they are?
13 But you ask, ‘What does God know? How can he see and judge what happens in down here in darkness?
But thou sayest, “What doth God know? can he judge behind the darkness?
14 Thick clouds cover him so he can't see anything as he walks around in heaven.’
Thick clouds are a covering for him, so that he will not see; and he walketh along on the circle of heaven.”
15 Why do you insist on following the traditional thinking of the wicked?
Wilt thou [thus] observe the path of ancient times which the men of injustice have trodden?
16 They were taken before their time; all they had built was washed away.
Who were shrivelled up before their time, whose foundation was flooded away like a river;
17 They had told God, ‘Get lost! What can the Almighty do to us?’
Who said unto God, “'Depart from us:” and what wrought the Almighty for them?
18 And yet he was the one who had filled their homes with good things—but I don't accept their way of thinking.
And yet it was he that filled their houses with good things; but the counsel of the wicked be [still] far from me.
19 Those who do right rejoice when they see the destruction of the wicked, and the innocent mock them,
The righteous will see it, and be glad; and the innocent will laugh them to scorn.
20 saying, ‘Our enemies are destroyed, and fire has burned up all that's left of them.’
“Is not he destroyed that rose up against us, and hath not the fire consumed what they had left?”
21 Come back to God and be reconciled to him, and you'll be prosperous again.
Do but become acquainted with him, and be at peace: thereby will happiness come unto thee.
22 Listen to what he tells you and keep his words in mind.
Do but accept instruction from his mouth, and lay up his saying in thy heart.
23 If you return to God you will be restored. If you renounce your sinful life
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, so thou wilt but remove wrong-doing far away from thy tents.
24 and give up your love of money and desire for possessions,
And throw down in the dust precious metals, and [the gold of] Ophir to the stones of the brooks:
25 then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver.
Then will the Almighty be thy precious metal, and brightly-shining silver unto thee.
26 Then you will find delight in the Almighty, and be able to face him without feeling ashamed.
For then wilt thou have in the Almighty thy delight, and thou canst lift up unto God thy face.
27 You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will keep your promises to him.
Thou wilt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and thy vows wilt thou pay.
28 Whatever you decide to do will be successful, and wherever you go, light will shine on you.
And if thou decree a thing, it will be fulfilled unto thee; and upon thy ways the light will shine.
29 When others are humbled, and you say, ‘please help them,’ God will save them.
For when men are brought low, thou wilt say, Pride [hath done it]; but those of lowly eyes [God] will help.
30 God saves those who are innocent, and you will be saved if you do what is right.”
He will even deliver him who is not guiltless: and thou wilt be delivered by the purity of thy hands.
