Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, and sayde,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 May a man be profitable vnto God, as he that is wise, may be profitable to himselfe?
Can a man, then, profit God? Behold, the wise man profiteth himself.
3 Is it any thing vnto the Almightie, that thou art righteous? or is it profitable to him, that thou makest thy wayes vpright?
Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous; Or a gain to him, that thou walkest uprightly?
4 Is it for feare of thee that he will accuse thee? or go with thee into iudgement?
Will he contend with thee because he feareth thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Is not thy wickednes great, and thine iniquities innumerable?
Hath not thy wickedness been great? Have not thine iniquities been numberless?
6 For thou hast taken the pledge from thy brother for nought, and spoyled the clothes of the naked.
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother unjustly, And stripped the poor of their clothing.
7 To such as were wearie, thou hast not giuen water to drinke, and hast withdrawen bread from the hungrie.
Thou hast given the weary no water to drink, And withholden bread from the hungry.
8 But the mightie man had the earth, and he that was in autoritie, dwelt in it.
But the man of power, his was the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it.
9 Thou hast cast out widowes emptie, and the armes of the fatherles were broken.
Thou hast sent widows away empty, And broken the arms of the fatherless.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and feare shall suddenly trouble thee:
Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear confoundeth thee;
11 Or darkenes that thou shouldest not see, and abundance of waters shall couer thee.
Or darkness, through which thou canst not see, And floods of water cover thee.
12 Is not God on hie in the heauen? and behold the height of the starres how hie they are.
Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the stars, how high they are!
13 But thou sayest, How should God know? can he iudge through the darke cloude?
Hence thou sayest, “What doth God know? Can he govern behind the thick darkness?
14 The cloudes hide him that he can not see, and he walketh in the circle of heauen.
Dark clouds are a veil to him, and he cannot see; And he walketh upon the arch of heaven.”
15 Hast thou marked the way of the worlde, wherein wicked men haue walked?
Wilt thou take the old way Which wicked men have trodden,
16 Which were cut downe before the time, whose foundation was as a riuer that ouerflowed:
Who were cut down before their time, And whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
17 Which sayd vnto God, Depart from vs, and asked what the Almightie could do for them.
Who said unto God, “Depart from us!” And, “What can the Almighty do to us?”
18 Yet hee filled their houses with good things: but let the counsell of the wicked be farre from me.
And yet he filled their houses with good things!—Far from me be the counsel of the wicked!
19 The righteous shall see them, and shall reioyce, and the innocent shall laugh them to scorne.
The righteous see their fate, and rejoice; And the innocent hold them in derision.
20 Surely our substance is hid: but the fire hath deuoured the remnant of them.
“Truly our adversary is destroyed, And fire hath consumed his abundance!”
21 Therefore acquaint thy selfe, I pray thee, with him, and make peace: thereby thou shalt haue prosperitie.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thus shall prosperity return to thee.
22 Receiue, I pray thee, the law of his mouth, and lay vp his words in thine heart.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart.
23 If thou returne to the Almightie, thou shalt be buylt vp, and thou shalt put iniquitie farre from thy tabernacle.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; If thou put away iniquity from thy tent.
24 Thou shalt lay vp golde for dust, and the gold of Ophir, as the flintes of the riuers.
Cast to the dust thy gold, And the gold of Ophir to the stones of the brook:
25 Yea, the Almightie shalbe thy defence, and thou shalt haue plentie of siluer.
Then shall the Almighty be thy gold, Yea, treasures of silver unto thee;
26 And thou shalt then delite in the Almightie, and lift vp thy face vnto God.
For then shalt thou have delight in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 Thou shalt make thy praier vnto him, and he shall heare thee, and thou shalt render thy vowes.
Thou shalt pray to him, and he shall hear thee, And thou shalt perform thy vows.
28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and he shall establish it vnto thee, and the light shall shine vpon thy wayes.
The purpose which thou formest shall prosper with thee, And light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When others are cast downe, then shalt thou say, I am lifted vp: and God shall saue the humble person.
When men are cast down, thou shalt say, “There lifting up!” And the humble person he will save.
30 The innocent shall deliuer the yland, and it shalbe preserued by the purenes of thine hands.
He will deliver even him that is not innocent. The purity of thy hands shall save him.
