Job 22
1 THEN Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —
2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
Unto GOD, can a man act as friend? Surely a discreet man befriendeth himself!
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou shouldst be righteous? or any profit, that thou shouldst be blameless in thy ways?
4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
Is it, for thy reverence, that he will accuse thee? will enter with thee into judgment?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
Is not, thy wickedness, great? and, without end, [are not] thine iniquities?
6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
Surely then hast been wont to put thy brother in pledge, for nothing, and, the garments of the ill-clad, hast thou stripped off:
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
No water—to the weary, hast thou given to drink, and, from the hungry, thou hast withheld bread:
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
A man of might, to him, pertaineth the land, and, the favorite, dwelleth therein:
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, thou dost crush.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
For this cause, round about thee, are snares, and a dread startleth thee suddenly;
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.
Or darkness—thou canst not see, and, a flood of waters, covereth thee.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
Is not, GOD, [in] the height of the heavens? Behold, then, the head of the stars, that they are high.
13 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?
Wilt thou say then, What doth GOD know? Out through a thick cloud, can he judge?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
Dark clouds, are a veil to him, and he cannot see, or, the vault of the heavens, doth he walk?
15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
The path of the ancient time, wilt thou mark, which the men of iniquity trod?
16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:
Who were snatched away before the time, and, a stream, washed away their foundation?
17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?
Who had been saying unto GOD, Depart from us! and—What can the Almighty do for himself?
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
Yet, he, had filled their houses with good! The counsel of the lawless, then, is far from me:
19 The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
The righteous shall see and rejoice, and, the innocent, shall laugh them to scorn:
20 Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.
If our assailants do not vanish, then, their abundance, a fire consumeth!
21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
Shew thyself to be one with him—I pray thee—and prosper, thereby, shall there come on thee blessing.
22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
Accept, I beseech thee, from his mouth—instruction, —and lay up his sayings in thy heart.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
If thou return unto the Almighty and submit thyself, if thou far remove perversity from thy tent,
24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
Then lay up, in the dust, precious ore, and, among the stones of the torrent-beds, fine gold:
25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
So shall, the Almighty, become, thy precious ores, yea glittering silver unto thee!
26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
For, then, in the Almighty, shalt thou take exquisite delight, and shalt lift up—unto GOD—thy face;
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.
Thou shalt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and, thy vows, shalt thou pay;
28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
And thou shalt decree a purpose, and it shall be fulfilled unto thee, and, upon thy ways, shall have shone a light;
29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
When men cast themselves down, then thou shalt say: Up! And, him that is of downcast eyes, shall he save;
30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
He shall deliver the innocent, and thou shalt escape by the pureness of thy hands.
