Job 22
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
2 Can a man be profitable unto God? Or can he that is wise be profitable unto Him?
To God is a man profitable, Because a wise man to himself is profitable?
3 Is it any advantage to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways blameless?
Is it a delight to the Mighty One That thou art righteous? is it gain, That thou makest perfect thy ways?
4 Is it for thy fear of Him that He reproveth thee, that He entereth with thee into judgment?
Because of thy reverence Doth He reason [with] thee? He entereth with thee into judgment:
5 Is not thy wickedness great? And are not thine iniquities without end?
Is not thy wickedness abundant? And there is no end to thine iniquities.
6 For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
For thou takest a pledge of thy brother for nought, And the garments of the naked Thou dost strip off.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
Thou causest not the weary to drink water, And from the hungry thou withholdest bread.
8 And as a mighty man, who hath the earth, and as a man of rank, who dwelleth in it,
As to the man of arm — he hath the earth, And the accepted of face — he dwelleth in it.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Widows thou hast sent away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden dread affrighted thee,
Therefore round about thee [are] snares, And trouble thee doth fear suddenly.
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.
Or darkness — thou dost not see, And abundance of waters doth cover thee.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the topmost of the stars, how high they are!
Is not God high [in] heaven? And see the summit of the stars, That they are high.
13 And thou sayest: 'What doth God know? Can He judge through the dark cloud?
And thou hast said, 'What — hath God known? Through thickness doth He judge?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the circuit of heaven.'
Thick clouds [are] a secret place to Him, And He doth not see;' And the circle of the heavens He walketh habitually,
15 Wilt thou keep the old way which wicked men have trodden?
The path of the age dost thou observe, That men of iniquity have trodden?
16 Who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream;
Who have been cut down unexpectedly, A flood is poured out on their foundation.
17 Who said unto God: 'Depart from us'; and what could the Almighty do unto them?
Those saying to God, 'Turn aside from us,' And what doth the Mighty One to them?
18 Yet He filled their houses with good things — but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
And he hath filled their houses [with] good: (And the counsel of the wicked Hath been far from me.)
19 The righteous saw it, and were glad, and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
See do the righteous and they rejoice, And the innocent mocketh at them,
20 'Surely their substance is cut off, and their abundance the fire hath consumed.'
'Surely our substance hath not been cut off, And their excellency hath fire consumed.'
21 Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace; thereby shall thine increase be good.
Acquaint thyself, I pray thee, with Him, And be at peace, Thereby thine increase [is] good.
22 Receive, I pray thee, instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in thy heart.
Receive, I pray thee, from His mouth a law, And set His sayings in thy heart.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up — if thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents,
If thou dost return unto the Mighty Thou art built up, Thou puttest iniquity far from thy tents.
24 And lay thy treasure in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;
So as to set on the dust a defence, And on a rock of the valleys a covering.
25 And the Almighty be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee;
And the Mighty hath been thy defence, And silver [is] strength to thee.
26 Then surely shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
For then on the Mighty thou delightest thyself, And dost lift up unto God thy face,
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;
Thou dost make supplication unto Him, And He doth hear thee, And thy vows thou completest.
28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee, and light shall shine upon thy ways.
And thou decreest a saying, And it is established to thee, And on thy ways hath light shone.
29 When they cast thee down, thou shalt say: 'There is lifting up'; for the humble person He saveth.
For they have made low, And thou sayest, 'Lift up.' And the bowed down of eyes he saveth.
30 He delivereth him that is innocent, yea, thou shalt be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.
He delivereth the not innocent, Yea, he hath been delivered By the cleanness of thy hands.
